CVE-2021-38533
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 RAX40 devices before 1.0.3.64 are affected by stored XSS.
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 RAX40 routers before firmware version 1.0.3.64 contain a stored cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability. Attackers can inject malicious JavaScript into the router's web interface, which persists and executes when other users access the affected functionality, potentially stealing session cookies or performing actions on behalf of authenticated users.
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< 1.0.3.64CVSS 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
- Low
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Changed
- Confidentiality
- Low
- Integrity
- Low
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N
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.
-
Confirm router model is NETGEAR RAX40Log into the router web interface and check the device information page, or look at the physical device labelAffected if The device is not a NETGEAR RAX40 model
-
Identify the installed firmware versionAccess the router web interface, navigate to Administration > Firmware Update or Advanced > Administration > Router Update, and note the current firmware version displayedAffected if The firmware version is lower than 1.0.3.64 (for example, 1.0.3.62 or earlier)
-
Determine if the web management interface is accessibleAttempt to access the router's IP address (commonly 192.168.1.1) from a browser to verify the web interface is reachableAffected if The web interface is accessible from untrusted networks (LAN or WAN)
-
Check if remote management is enabledIn the router web interface, go to Advanced > Administration > Remote Management and verify whether remote access is permittedAffected if Remote management is enabled and the interface is exposed to the internet
You are affected if the device is a NETGEAR RAX40 running firmware version 1.0.3.64 or lower and the web interface is accessible to users or attackers.
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.
From vendor data1.0.3.64
Update NETGEAR RAX40 firmware to version 1.0.3.64 or later. If patching is not immediately feasible, restrict access to the router's administrative interface to trusted networks only and monitor for anomalous requests.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation1.0 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 $1,696.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-38533 — 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-2021-38533 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