dbcve.org
Rax50 FirmwareOperating system · Netgear

CVE-2023-35721

HIGH · 8.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-05-03
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 1.0.15.128 or later.
See remediation →
93/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
No privileges Zero-click

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 · unedited
NETGEAR Multiple Routers curl_post Improper Certificate Validation Remote Code Execution Vulnerability. This vulnerability allows network-adjacent attackers to compromise the integrity of downloaded information on affected installations of multiple NETGEAR routers. Authentication is not required to exploit this vulnerability. The specific flaw exists within the update functionality, which operates over HTTPS. The issue results from the lack of proper validation of the certificate presented by the server. An attacker can leverage this in conjunction with other vulnerabilities to execute arbitrary code in the context of root. Was ZDI-CAN-19981.

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 confidence

This vulnerability exists in the HTTPS update functionality of multiple NETGEAR routers. The curl_post function used for downloading updates fails to properly validate SSL/TLS certificates, allowing a network-adjacent attacker to perform a man-in-the-middle attack. By presenting a malicious certificate, an attacker can inject arbitrary code into firmware updates, which then executes with root privileges on the affected device.

MitigationApply available NETGEAR firmware updates for affected router models. As a compensating control, ensure routers are not deployed on untrusted networks where MITM attacks are feasible.

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
Rax50 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:< 1.0.15.128

CVSS 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:3.1/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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Confirm router model is Netgear Rax50
    Log into the router web interface (typically at 192.168.1.1) and check the device information page, or inspect the physical product label on the device itself.
    Affected if The device is a Netgear Rax50 router.
  2. Check installed firmware version
    In the router web interface, navigate to Administration > Firmware Update or Advanced > Administration > Router Update. Locate the current firmware version displayed on the page.
    Affected if The firmware version is anything less than 1.0.15.128 (for example, 1.0.14.96 or earlier).
  3. Verify HTTPS update functionality is present
    In the router web interface, check the firmware update settings page. Look for options related to checking for updates or performing firmware updates over HTTPS.
    Affected if The router has an HTTPS-based firmware update feature available in the web interface.
  4. Assess network accessibility to update function
    Determine if the router management interface or update check functionality is accessible from untrusted network segments. Check if remote management (UPnP, WAN access) is enabled that could allow a network-adjacent attacker to reach the update mechanism.
    Affected if The router is deployed on a network where untrusted or guest devices can communicate with it, or remote management is enabled.

You are affected if you have a Netgear Rax50 router running firmware version lower than 1.0.15.128 and the HTTPS update functionality is accessible from your network.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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 · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 1.0.15.128 or later
Fixed in 1.0.15.128
Interim mitigation

Apply available NETGEAR firmware updates for affected router models. As a compensating control, ensure routers are not deployed on untrusted networks where MITM attacks are feasible.

Recommended fix High confidence

Rax50 Firmware version 1.0.15.128 or later

  1. Visit the official NETGEAR support website (support.netgear.com) and download the latest firmware version for the Rax50 router
  2. Access the router's web administration interface by navigating to routerlogin.net or 192.168.1.1
  3. Log in with administrator credentials
  4. Navigate to the 'Advanced' tab and select 'Administration' or 'Firmware Update'
  5. Click on 'Check for Updates' or select 'Manual Update'
  6. Upload the downloaded firmware file (.img or .bin)
  7. Wait for the firmware upload and installation to complete - do not power off the router during this process
  8. The router will automatically reboot after the update completes
Caveat Firmware updates may reset router configuration to defaults; backup settings before upgrading

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Rax50 Firmware Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
22.0 hours of engineering $3,860
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $6,176.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-35721 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.

Get it on GitHub Scan in the browser

References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2023-35721 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.

What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • 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
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data