CVE-2021-45493
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 disclosure of administrative credentials. This affects RAX35 before 1.0.4.102, RAX38 before 1.0.4.102, and RAX40 before 1.0.4.102.
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 confidenceNETGEAR RAX35, RAX38, and RAX40 routers before firmware version 1.0.4.102 contain a vulnerability allowing unauthenticated network attackers to obtain administrative credentials. The high CVSS score (7.5) indicates this is a pre-authentication information disclosure flaw, likely exposing plaintext passwords or session tokens through an insecure endpoint or mechanism.
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< 1.0.4.102< 1.0.4.102< 1.0.4.102CVSS 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
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/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.
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Identify router modelLocate the model number on the device label (usually on the bottom or back of the router) or log into the router admin interface and check the status or system info pageAffected if Model is NETGEAR RAX35, RAX38, or RAX40
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Check firmware versionLog into the router web interface and navigate to Administration > Firmware Update or Advanced > Administration > Router Status to view the current firmware versionAffected if Firmware version is less than 1.0.4.102
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Verify firmware version sourceConfirm the version displayed matches what NETGEAR support lists for your specific model (check NETGEAR support site for firmware release notes)Affected if Cannot confirm firmware version or version shown differs from NETGEAR's published version for that release
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Assess exposureDetermine if the router admin interface is accessible from the internet (check port forwarding rules, WAN access settings, or use an external port scanner on ports 80/443)Affected if Router admin interface is exposed to the internet (untrusted networks)
The environment is affected if the router model is RAX35, RAX38, or RAX40 and the installed firmware version is below 1.0.4.102, particularly if the admin interface is internet-facing.
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 · scoped1.0.4.102
Update NETGEAR router firmware to version 1.0.4.102 or later. If patching is immediately impossible, restrict administrative interface access to trusted networks or VPN connections.
Firmware 1.0.4.102 or later for RAX35, RAX38, and RAX40
- Identify your exact NETGEAR router model (RAX35, RAX38, or RAX40)
- Navigate to the NETGEAR support page at kb.netgear.com
- Download firmware version 1.0.4.102 or later for your specific model
- Access the router's web management interface by entering the router's IP address in a browser
- Log in with current admin credentials
- Navigate to the Administration or Advanced settings section
- Select Firmware Update or Router Update option
- Upload and install the downloaded firmware file (1.0.4.102 or later)
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-2021-45493 — 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-2021-45493 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
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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