CVE-2021-45538
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 router web management interface. An authenticated attacker can execute arbitrary OS commands by injecting them into HTTP requests to the device's firmware.
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 the Netgear device modelLocate the model number on the device label or check the web management interface dashboardAffected if The device is one of: Rax75, Rax80, Rbk752, Rbr750, Rbs750, Rbk852, Rbr850, or Rbs850
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Determine the installed firmware versionAccess the router web interface and navigate to Administration > Firmware Update or Advanced > Administration > Firmware; note the version displayedAffected if The firmware version cannot be retrieved from the web interface
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Compare firmware version against affected rangesFor Rax75 or Rax80: compare to 1.0.3.106; For Rbk752, Rbr750, Rbs750, Rbk852, Rbr850, or Rbs850: compare to 3.2.16.6Affected if The installed version is lower than the corresponding threshold for your device model
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Confirm web management interface is enabledVerify the router web management interface is accessible (typically on port 80 or 443)Affected if The web interface is not accessible or has been disabled
You are affected if your device model matches one of the listed products and your current firmware version is earlier than 1.0.3.106 for RAX models or earlier than 3.2.16.6 for RBK/RBR/RBS models.
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 firmware updates: RAX75/RAX80 to version 1.0.3.106 or later; RBK752, RBR750, RBS750, RBK852, RBR850, RBS850 to version 3.2.16.6 or later.
RAX75/RAX80: Firmware 1.0.3.106 | RBK752/RBR750/RBS750/RBK852/RBR850/RBS850: Firmware 3.2.16.6
- Identify the exact NETGEAR router model number (e.g., RAX75, RAX80, RBK752, RBR750, RBS750, RBK852, RBR850, RBS850)
- Navigate to the NETGEAR support website (support.netgear.com) and enter the model number in the search box
- Download the firmware version 1.0.3.106 for RAX75/RAX80 models, or version 3.2.16.6 for RBK752/RBR750/RBS750/RBK852/RBR850/RBS850 models
- Access the router's web-based management interface by entering the router's IP address in a web browser
- Log in with administrator credentials
- Navigate to the Administration or Settings section, then select Firmware Update option
- Choose the option to upload the downloaded firmware file
- Wait for the firmware upload and installation to complete - 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-2021-45538 — 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-2021-45538 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
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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