CVE-2023-27361
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 RAX30 rex_cgi JSON Parsing Stack-based Buffer Overflow Remote Code Execution Vulnerability. This vulnerability allows network-adjacent attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected installations of NETGEAR RAX30 routers. Authentication is required to exploit this vulnerability. The specific flaw exists within the handling of JSON data. The issue results from the lack of proper validation of the length of user-supplied data prior to copying it to a fixed-length stack-based buffer. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of root. Was ZDI-CAN-19355.
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 confidenceStack-based buffer overflow in NETGEAR RAX30 router's rex_cgi JSON parsing component. The vulnerability stems from improper length validation of user-supplied JSON data before copying to a fixed-size stack buffer, enabling authenticated attackers to achieve root-level remote code execution.
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< 1.0.9.92CVSS 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
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:L/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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Confirm device model is NETGEAR RAX30Access router admin interface (typically at 192.168.1.1) or check device label. Navigate to Administration > Router Status or similar to view model information.Affected if Device is not a NETGEAR RAX30 router (different models are not affected by this specific CVE)
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Determine installed firmware versionIn router admin interface, go to Administration > Router Update or Advanced > Administration > Firmware Update to view current firmware version. Alternatively, check NETGEAR support site for RAX30 firmware downloads.Affected if Firmware version is 1.0.9.92 or higher (versions below 1.0.9.92 are affected)
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Verify if remote administration is enabledIn router admin interface, navigate to Advanced > Administration > Remote Management. Check if remote management access is enabled and note which IP addresses or ranges are permitted.Affected if Remote management is enabled and accessible to untrusted networks (increases exposure to this vulnerability)
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Check rex_cgi endpoint accessibilityAttempt to access the rex_cgi component via HTTP/HTTPS to the router's WAN IP (if remote management is enabled). This is typically found at paths like /rex_cgi or similar CGI endpoints.Affected if rex_cgi endpoint is reachable from network (this is the vulnerable component requiring authentication)
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Confirm administrative authentication statusVerify that admin accounts exist and are required for access. Check if default credentials are in use or if strong passwords are configured.Affected if Authentication is not properly configured (exploitation requires authenticated access to the rex_cgi component)
You are affected if you have a NETGEAR RAX30 router running firmware version 1.0.9.91 or lower, with the rex_cgi component accessible and administrative authentication in place for exploitation.
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 · scoped1.0.9.92
Apply available NETGEAR firmware updates for RAX30; until patch is available, restrict administrative access to trusted networks/IPs and consider network segmentation to limit exposure.
RAX30 Firmware version 1.0.9.92 or later
- 1. Navigate to the official NETGEAR support website (support.netgear.com) and locate the RAX30 router product page
- 2. Download the firmware version 1.0.9.92 or later from the downloads section
- 3. Access the router's web-based management interface by entering the router's IP address in a web browser
- 4. Log in with administrator credentials
- 5. Navigate to the 'Advanced' or 'Administration' section, then select 'Firmware Update' or 'Router Update'
- 6. Click 'Choose File' and select the downloaded firmware file (.bin)
- 7. Click 'Upload' or 'Apply' to begin the firmware update process
- 8. Wait for the upload to complete and the router to reboot - do not power off the router during this process
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation3.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-27361 — 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-2023-27361 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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