CVE-2021-45576
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 (RBK752, RBR750, RBS750, RBK852, RBR850, RBS850). An authenticated attacker can inject and execute arbitrary OS commands on the device due to insufficient input sanitization in a web interface parameter.
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.
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Identify the Orbi device modelLog into the router web interface or check the device label to confirm the exact model number (RBK752, RBR750, RBS750, RBK852, RBR850, or RBS850)Affected if The device model matches one of the affected models listed in the CVE
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Check the installed firmware versionNavigate to the router web interface, go to Administration > Firmware Update or Advanced > Administration > Firmware Version to view the current firmware versionAffected if The firmware version is less than 3.2.16.6
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Verify web administration interface accessibilityCheck if the router web management interface (typically on port 80/443) is accessible from the network. Attempt to access the login page at the router IP address.Affected if The web interface is exposed and reachable
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Confirm authentication statusReview whether the router admin credentials are known to untrusted users, or if default credentials (admin/password) are still in useAffected if An attacker can obtain valid authentication to the web interface
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Check for signs of exploitationReview router logs for unexpected commands, unusual HTTP POST requests to web interface parameters, or unexpected processes/network connectionsAffected if Logs show suspicious command injection attempts or unexpected execution
The device is affected if it is one of the listed Orbi models running firmware version 3.2.16.6 or lower, and an attacker can authenticate to the web management 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 · scoped3.2.16.6
Update the firmware on all affected Orbi devices to version 3.2.16.6 or later. Restrict administrative access to trusted users and monitor for unauthorized credential usage.
Firmware version 3.2.16.6 for affected models (RBK752, RBR750, RBS750, RBK852, RBR850, RBS850)
- Access the NETGEAR router web interface by navigating to the device IP address
- Log in with administrator credentials
- Navigate to Administration > Firmware Update (or similar path depending on exact model UI)
- Check the current firmware version to confirm it is below 3.2.16.6
- Download the firmware version 3.2.16.6 or later from the official NETGEAR support website (kb.netgear.com) for your specific model (RBK752, RBR750, RBS750, RBK852, RBR850, or RBS850)
- In the web interface, use the firmware upload/install feature to apply the new firmware file
- Wait for the firmware upload and installation to complete - do not power off the device
- The router will automatically reboot after the upgrade completes
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-45576 — 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-2021-45576 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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- 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
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