CVE-2021-38532
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 · uneditedNETGEAR WAC104 devices before 1.0.4.15 are affected by incorrect configuration of security settings.
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 · moderate confidenceNETGEAR WAC104 wireless access point devices running firmware versions prior to 1.0.4.15 contain incorrect configuration of security settings, likely involving exposed management interfaces, weak security defaults, or improper access controls that could allow authenticated attackers to modify device configuration.
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< 1.0.4.15CVSS 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 the device modelAccess the device web management interface (typically at 192.168.1.1) and check the device information page, or physically inspect the device label for the model number WAC104Affected if The device is not a NETGEAR WAC104 model, then this specific CVE does not apply
-
Check the firmware versionIn the device web interface, navigate to the Administration or Status section to view the firmware version. Compare this version number against 1.0.4.15Affected if The installed firmware version is lower than 1.0.4.15 (for example, 1.0.4.10 or any version in the 1.0.x range below 1.0.4.15)
-
Verify management interface exposureCheck the device network configuration to determine if the web management interface is accessible from the WAN or guest network rather than only from the local LAN. Inspect port forwarding rules or access control settings that may expose port 80/443 externallyAffected if The management interface (HTTP/HTTPS on ports 80/443) is configured to be accessible from outside the trusted local network, or port forwarding exposes it to untrusted networks
You are affected if your NETGEAR WAC104 is running firmware version lower than 1.0.4.15 AND the device management interface is exposed to untrusted networks or has weak access controls.
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 · scoped1.0.4.15
Upgrade NETGEAR WAC104 firmware to version 1.0.4.15 or later to remediate the security misconfiguration.
NETGEAR WAC104 Firmware version 1.0.4.15 or later
- 1. Download the firmware version 1.0.4.15 or later from the official NETGEAR support website (kb.netgear.com)
- 2. Access the NETGEAR WAC104 web management interface by entering the device's IP address in a web browser
- 3. Log in with administrator credentials
- 4. Navigate to the Administration or Maintenance section
- 5. Look for a Firmware Update or Router Update option
- 6. Click Browse or Choose File and select the downloaded firmware file
- 7. Click Upload or Update to begin the firmware upgrade process
- 8. Wait for the upload to complete and for the device to reboot (do not power off the device during this process)
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,984.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-38532 — 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-2021-38532 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