CVE-2021-45581
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 confidenceCommand injection vulnerability in NETGEAR Orbi mesh WiFi systems (RBK752, RBR750, RBS750, RBK852, RBR850, RBS850) allows authenticated users to execute arbitrary commands via the web management interface due to insufficient input sanitization in versions 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< 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 modelAccess the web management interface and check the device information page, or use the NETGEAR Orbi app to view device details. The model number is typically displayed on the System Overview or Settings > About page.Affected if The model is one of RBK752, RBR750, RBS750, RBK852, RBR850, or RBS850.
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Check the installed firmware versionIn the web management interface, navigate to Settings > Administration > Firmware Update or Settings > About. The firmware version is displayed on this page. Record the exact version number shown.Affected if The firmware version is anything less than 3.2.16.6 (for example, 3.2.14.5, 3.2.15.2, etc.). Versions 3.2.16.6 and later are not affected.
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Verify the web management interface is enabled and accessibleAttempt to access the Orbi router's web interface by entering the router's IP address in a web browser. Confirm the login page loads successfully.Affected if The web management interface is accessible and responds to requests. The vulnerability is exploitable through this interface when authenticated.
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Confirm admin authentication is configuredCheck that the default admin credentials or a custom admin password is set for the web management interface. The vulnerability requires an authenticated session to exploit.Affected if Admin authentication is enabled on the device. An attacker needs valid admin credentials to exploit this command injection flaw.
The device is affected if it is one of the listed models (RBK752, RBR750, RBS750, RBK852, RBR850, RBS850) AND the firmware version is below 3.2.16.6 AND the web management interface with admin authentication is accessible.
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 firmware to version 3.2.16.6 or later. Until patched, restrict admin interface access to trusted networks only and ensure strong authentication credentials are used.
Firmware version 3.2.16.6 or later
- Identify the exact NETGEAR model (RBK752, RBR750, RBS750, RBK852, RBR850, or RBS850)
- Download firmware version 3.2.16.6 or later from the official NETGEAR support website (kb.netgear.com)
- Access the router's web management interface
- Navigate to the Administration > Firmware Update section
- Upload and apply the new firmware file
- Wait for the device to reboot and verify the firmware version is 3.2.16.6 or higher
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation3.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-45581 — 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-2021-45581 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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