CVE-2021-45572
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 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 confidenceThis is a command injection vulnerability in NETGEAR Orbi mesh WiFi systems (models RBK752, RBR750, RBS750, RBK852, RBR850, RBS850). An authenticated attacker can inject arbitrary OS commands through the web management interface due to insufficient input validation. The vulnerability is exploitable over the network and requires valid authentication credentials.
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< 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.
-
Identify the Orbi device modelLocate the model number on the device label or check the web management interface system information page for the exact model designation (RBK752, RBR750, RBS750, RBK852, RBR850, or RBS850)Affected if The model is one of RBK752, RBR750, RBS750, RBK852, RBR850, or RBS850
-
Check the installed firmware versionAccess the Orbi web management interface and navigate to the Administration or Firmware Update section to view the current firmware version numberAffected if The firmware version is earlier than 3.2.16.6 (for example, 3.2.16.5, 3.2.14.10, etc.)
-
Verify web management interface accessibilityConfirm the Orbi router's administrative web interface is reachable over the network on the default HTTP/HTTPS ports (typically 80 or 443)Affected if The web management interface is accessible from an untrusted network segment
-
Check authentication configurationReview whether the administrative web interface uses default credentials or weak password settings, or determine if remote management is enabled allowing network-based authentication attemptsAffected if Valid administrator credentials can be obtained or guessed, enabling command injection via the vulnerable input fields
You are affected if you have an Orbi model RBK752, RBR750, RBS750, RBK852, RBR850, or RBS850 running firmware version earlier than 3.2.16.6 with the web management interface accessible to an attacker who can obtain valid credentials.
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 · scoped3.2.16.6
Upgrade NETGEAR Orbi firmware to version 3.2.16.6 or later. Until patched, restrict access to the device's administrative web interface to trusted users only, ideally through a dedicated management VLAN or VPN.
Firmware version 3.2.16.6 (or later) for the respective Orbi model
- Identify the exact NETGEAR Orbi model (RBK752, RBR750, RBS750, RBK852, RBR850, or RBS850).
- Log in to the device’s web management interface or use the NETGEAR Orbi app.
- Navigate to the Firmware Update or Administration section.
- Check the current firmware version; confirm it is earlier than 3.2.16.6.
- Download firmware version 3.2.16.6 (or the latest available version) for your specific model from the official NETGEAR support site (kb.netgear.com).
- Follow NETGEAR’s instructions to upload and apply the firmware update (via the web UI or the Orbi app).
- After the update completes, verify the new firmware version is 3.2.16.6 or later.
- Reboot the device to ensure the changes take effect.
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing1.0 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 $1,424.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-45572 — 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-2021-45572 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