CVE-2021-45612
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 unauthenticated attacker. This affects CBR40 before 2.5.0.24, CBR750 before 4.6.3.6, EAX20 before 1.0.0.58, EAX80 before 1.0.1.68, EX7500 before 1.0.0.74, LAX20 before 1.1.6.28, MK62 before 1.0.6.116, MR60 before 1.0.6.116, MS60 before 1.0.6.116, R6400v2 before 1.0.4.118, R6700v3 before 1.0.4.118, R6900P before 1.3.3.140, R7000 before 1.0.11.126, R7000P before 1.3.3.140, R7850 before 1.0.5.74, R7900 before 1.0.4.46, R7900P before 1.4.2.84, R7960P before 1.4.2.84, R8000 before 1.0.4.74, R8000P before 1.4.2.84, RAX15 before 1.0.3.96, RAX20 before 1.0.3.96, RAX200 before 1.0.4.120, RAX35v2 before 1.0.3.96, RAX40v2 before 1.0.3.96, RAX43 before 1.0.3.96, RAX45 before 1.0.3.96, RAX50 before 1.0.3.96, RAX75 before 1.0.4.120, RAX80 before 1.0.4.120, RBK752 before 3.2.17.12, RBK852 before 3.2.17.12, RBR750 before 3.2.17.12, RBR850 before 3.2.17.12, RBS750 before 3.2.17.12, RBS850 before 3.2.17.12, RS400 before 1.5.1.80, XR1000 before 1.0.0.58, and XR300 before 1.0.3.68.
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 confidenceMultiple NETGEAR router, extender, and mesh system models contain an OS command injection vulnerability in their firmware web interface. An unauthenticated remote attacker can send specially crafted HTTP requests containing malicious shell metacharacters that get executed with root privileges on the underlying embedded Linux system.
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< 2.5.0.24< 4.6.3.6< 1.0.0.58< 1.0.1.68< 1.0.0.74< 1.1.6.28< 1.0.6.116< 1.0.6.116CVSS 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
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/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 your NETGEAR device modelLocate the model number on the device physical label or check the web interface status pageAffected if The device model matches one of: Cbr40, Cbr750, Eax20, Eax80, Ex7500, Lax20, Mk62, or Mr60
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Determine the current firmware versionLog into the router web interface (commonly at 192.168.1.1) and navigate to Administration > Firmware Update or Router Status to view the installed firmware versionAffected if Unable to determine the firmware version from the web interface
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Compare against affected version rangesReference the web interface firmware version and compare it to the following thresholds: Cbr40 < 2.5.0.24, Cbr750 < 4.6.3.6, Eax20 < 1.0.0.58, Eax80 < 1.0.1.68, Ex7500 < 1.0.0.74, Lax20 < 1.1.6.28, Mk62 < 1.0.6.116, Mr60 < 1.0.6.116Affected if Your installed firmware version is lower than the threshold listed for your specific device model
The device is affected if it is one of the listed models AND is running a firmware version below the specified threshold for that model.
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 · scoped1.0.0.581.0.0.741.0.1.68
Apply the vendor-supplied firmware update to the specific version listed for each device model (e.g., R7000 to 1.0.11.126, RAX80 to 1.0.4.120, RBK752 to 3.2.17.12). If patching is not immediately possible, restrict external access to the device management interfaces via firewall rules.
Upgrade to firmware version 2.5.0.24 or higher for CBR40; 4.6.3.6 or higher for CBR750; 1.0.0.58 or higher for EAX20; 1.0.1.68 or higher for EAX80; 1.0.0.74 or higher for EX7500; 1.1.6.28 or higher for LAX20; 1.0.6.116 or higher for MK62/MR60 (and all other affected models listed in the official NET
- 1. Identify your NETGEAR device model number from the product label or web interface
- 2. Visit the official NETGEAR support page at kb.netgear.com and navigate to your product's downloads section
- 3. Download the latest firmware version for your specific model
- 4. Access the router's web management interface (typically at 192.168.1.1 or routerlogin.net)
- 5. Navigate to the Administration > Firmware Update section
- 6. Select the downloaded firmware file and initiate the update
- 7. Wait for the firmware to upload and install - do not power off the device during this process
- 8. After reboot, verify the firmware version in the web interface matches the expected fixed version
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation12.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $6,752.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-45612 — 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-2021-45612 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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