CVE-2022-43654
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 · uneditedNETGEAR CAX30S SSO Command Injection Remote Code Execution Vulnerability. This vulnerability allows network-adjacent attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected installations of NETGEAR CAX30S routers. Authentication is not required to exploit this vulnerability. The specific flaw exists within the handling of the token parameter provided to the sso.php endpoint. The issue results from the lack of proper validation of a user-supplied string before using it to execute a system call. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of root. Was ZDI-CAN-18227.
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 confidenceA command injection vulnerability exists in the sso.php endpoint of NETGEAR CAX30S routers where the token parameter is not validated before being passed to a system call. Attackers with network access can inject arbitrary OS commands without authentication and execute them with root privileges.
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< 2.1.3.10< 2.1.3.10CVSS 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
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:A/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 router modelCheck the device label or web interface to confirm the model is Netgear CAX30 or CAX30SAffected if Model is CAX30 or CAX30S
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Check firmware versionAccess the router web interface (typically at 192.168.1.1) and navigate to Administration > Firmware Update, or run 'grep -i version /var/firmware_version' via SSH if enabledAffected if Firmware version is below 2.1.3.10 (e.g., 2.1.3.8, 2.1.0.6, etc.)
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Verify sso.php endpoint existsAttempt to access http://<router-ip>/sso.php via curl or browser - the endpoint should respond (even with an error) if presentAffected if The sso.php endpoint is accessible and responds to requests
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Assess network exposureCheck if router management interface (port 80/443) is exposed to the internet by reviewing port forwarding rules, firewall settings, or using an external port scannerAffected if The router admin interface is accessible from WAN/internet or untrusted networks
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Check for indicators of compromiseReview router logs (if accessible via Web UI under Administration > Logs) for suspicious POST requests to sso.php with unusual token values, or look for unexpected admin accounts or processesAffected if Logs show requests to sso.php with encoded characters, or unexpected admin accounts exist
You are affected if you have a Netgear CAX30 or CAX30S router running firmware version 2.1.3.9 or lower, and the router management interface is accessible to untrusted networks.
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 · scoped2.1.3.10
Apply the NETGEAR firmware patch when released; until then, restrict network access to the router's management interface and monitor for indicators of compromise.
NETGEAR CAX30/CAX30S firmware version 2.1.3.10 or later
- 1. Navigate to the official NETGEAR support website (support.netgear.com) or use the NETGEAR Nighthawk app
- 2. Locate the firmware download section for the CAX30 or CAX30S router model
- 3. Download the latest firmware version 2.1.3.10 or later from NETGEAR's official sources only
- 4. Access the router's web management interface by entering the router's IP address in a web browser
- 5. Log into the router administration panel with administrator credentials
- 6. Navigate to the Advanced > Administration > Firmware Update section
- 7. Select the option to manually upload the downloaded firmware file
- 8. 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.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing4.0 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 $5,120.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2022-43654 — 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-2022-43654 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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