CVE-2021-38525
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedCertain NETGEAR devices are affected by a stack-based buffer overflow by an authenticated user. This affects D3600 before 1.0.0.76, D6000 before 1.0.0.76, D6200 before 1.1.00.36, D7000 before 1.0.1.70, EX6200v2 before 1.0.1.78, EX7000 before 1.0.1.78, EX8000 before 1.0.1.186, JR6150 before 1.0.1.18, PR2000 before 1.0.0.28, R6020 before 1.0.0.42, R6050 before 1.0.1.18, R6080 before 1.0.0.42, R6120 before 1.0.0.46, R6220 before 1.1.0.80, R6260 before 1.1.0.64, R6300v2 before 1.0.4.34, R6700 before 1.0.2.6, R6700v2 before 1.2.0.36, R6800 before 1.2.0.36, R6900 before 1.0.2.4, R6900P before 1.3.1.64, R6900v2 before 1.2.0.36, R7000 before 1.0.9.42, R7000P before 1.3.1.64, R7800 before 1.0.2.60, R8900 before 1.0.4.12, R9000 before 1.0.4.12, and XR500 before 2.3.2.40.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceStack-based buffer overflow vulnerability in NETGEAR router firmware allowing authenticated users to potentially execute arbitrary code or cause denial of service via overflowing a stack-based buffer.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data< 1.0.0.76< 1.0.0.76< 1.1.00.36< 1.0.1.70< 1.0.1.78< 1.0.1.78< 1.0.1.186< 1.0.1.18CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- High
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
-
Identify router modelLocate the model number on the device label or check in the router admin interface under Status or Device InformationAffected if Model is one of: D3600, D6000, D6200, D7000, Ex6200, Ex7000, Ex8000, or Jr6150
-
Check firmware versionLog into the router admin interface and navigate to Status or Firmware Upgrade section to view the current firmware versionAffected if Firmware version cannot be determined or is below the fixed version for your model
-
Compare against vulnerable version rangesMatch your model and firmware version against the affected ranges: D3600/D6000 < 1.0.0.76, D6200 < 1.1.00.36, D7000/Ex6200/Ex7000 < 1.0.1.70, Ex8000 < 1.0.1.186, Jr6150 < 1.0.1.18Affected if Your installed version falls within any of these vulnerable ranges for your specific model
-
Assess admin interface accessibilityCheck router settings under Remote Management or Administration to determine if the admin interface is accessible from outside the local networkAffected if Remote management is enabled and the admin interface is exposed to untrusted networks
You are affected if your router is one of the listed models and runs firmware version below the fixed version for that model.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
dbcve · scoped1.0.0.761.0.1.181.0.1.70
Apply vendor-provided firmware updates for all affected models; if updates unavailable, limit administrative access to trusted users only and monitor for indicators of compromise.
Upgrade to firmware >= 1.0.0.76 (D3600/D6000), >=1.1.00.36 (D6200), >=1.0.1.70 (D7000), >=1.0.1.78 (Ex6200/Ex7000), >=1.0.1.186 (Ex8000), >=1.0.1.18 (JR6150), >=1.0.0.28 (PR2000), >=1.0.0.42 (R6020/R6080), >=1.0.1.18 (R6050), >=1.0.0.46 (R6120), >=1.1.0.80 (R6220), >=1.1.0.64 (R6260), >=1.0.4.34 (R6
- Log into the router’s web management interface with an administrator account.
- Navigate to the firmware update section (usually under Advanced > Administration > Firmware Update).
- Check for available updates; if your model is listed, download the latest firmware from the NETGEAR support site for your exact model number.
- If a manual update is required, upload the firmware file (.img or .bin) and let the router complete the upload and reboot.
- After the device restarts, verify in the web UI that the firmware version matches or exceeds the fixed version (e.g., 1.0.0.76 for D3600/D6000, 1.1.00.36 for D6200, etc.).
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $5,120.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-38525 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2021-38525 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.
- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data