CVE-2021-45536
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 command injection by an authenticated user. This affects RAX75 before 1.0.3.106, RAX80 before 1.0.3.106, RBK752 before 3.2.16.6, RBR750 before 3.2.16.6, RBS750 before 3.2.16.6, RBK852 before 3.2.16.6, RBR850 before 3.2.16.6, and RBS850 before 3.2.16.6.
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 confidenceAuthenticated command injection vulnerability in NETGEAR RAX75, RAX80, RBK752, RBR750, RBS750, RBK852, RBR850, and RBS850 devices. An authenticated attacker can execute arbitrary OS commands on affected devices due to improper input validation. Affected versions are RAX75/RAX80 before 1.0.3.106 and RBK752/RBR750/RBS750/RBK852/RBR850/RBS850 before 3.2.16.6.
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< 1.0.3.106< 1.0.3.106< 3.2.16.6< 3.2.16.6< 3.2.16.6< 3.2.16.6< 3.2.16.6< 3.2.16.6CVSS 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
- Adjacent
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- High
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:A/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.
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Identify device modelLocate the device label on the router or mesh unit, or log into the admin interface and check the Device/Product page. Confirm the model number is one of: RAX75, RAX80, RBK752, RBR750, RBS750, RBK852, RBR850, or RBS850.Affected if Device model is not in the affected product list
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Check firmware versionLog into the router admin web interface (typically at 192.168.1.1 or 10.0.0.1). Navigate to Advanced > Administration > Firmware Update or similar. Record the installed firmware version number.Affected if Firmware version is less than 1.0.3.106 for RAX75/RAX80, or less than 3.2.16.6 for RBK752/RBR750/RBS750/RBK852/RBR850/RBS850
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Confirm administrative access is enabledCheck if the router web admin interface is accessible from the WAN/internet. Log into the router, go to Advanced > Administration > Remote Management, or check the port forwarding/firewall settings. Test by attempting to access the router's public IP on ports 80/443 from an external network.Affected if Remote web administration is enabled and the device is accessible from the internet
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Verify authentication requirementsConfirm that the device requires authentication for administrative functions. Check if default credentials are still in use (default admin credentials are typically admin/password for older Netgear firmware).Affected if Device is accessible without authentication or uses default credentials
The device is affected if it is a supported model (RAX75, RAX80, RBK752, RBR750, RBS750, RBK852, RBR850, or RBS850) AND the firmware version is below the fixed release, AND an attacker can reach the authenticated admin interface.
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 · scoped1.0.3.1063.2.16.6
Apply vendor-supplied firmware updates (1.0.3.106 for RAX75/RAX80, 3.2.16.6 for RBK752/RBR750/RBS750/RBK852/RBR850/RBS850) to patch the command injection vulnerability. If patching is not immediately possible, restrict administrative access to trusted users only to reduce attack surface.
Rax75: 1.0.3.106 | Rax80: 1.0.3.106 | Rbk752/Rbr750/Rbs750/Rbk852/Rbr850/Rbs850: 3.2.16.6
- 1. Identify your NETGEAR device model from the affected list (RAX75, RAX80, RBK752, RBR750, RBS750, RBK852, RBR850, or RBS850)
- 2. Visit the NETGEAR support website (support.netgear.com) and locate the firmware download page for your specific device model
- 3. Download the firmware version 1.0.3.106 (for RAX75/RAX80) or version 3.2.16.6 (for RBK752, RBR750, RBS750, RBK852, RBR850, RBS850)
- 4. Connect to your router's web interface by entering the router's IP address in a web browser
- 5. Log in with administrator credentials
- 6. Navigate to the Advanced tab > Administration > Firmware Update (or similar path depending on model)
- 7. Click 'Check for Updates' or select 'Upload' to manually upload the downloaded firmware file
- 8. Wait for the firmware to upload, verify, and install - do not power off the router during this process
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-45536 — 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-2021-45536 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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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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