CVE-2023-51635
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 fing_dil 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 not required to exploit this vulnerability. The specific flaw exists within fing_dil service. 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-19843.
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 the fing_dil service of NETGEAR RAX30 routers allows remote, unauthenticated network-adjacent attackers to execute arbitrary code as root due to insufficient length validation before copying user-supplied data into a fixed-size stack buffer.
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< 1.0.12.100_hotfixCVSS 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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify device modelCheck the router's model number via web interface (typically at routerlogin.net) or look for RAX30 label on the device itselfAffected if Device is not a NETGEAR RAX30 model
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Check firmware versionLog into router web interface and navigate to Administration > Firmware Update or check the current version displayed on the dashboard. Alternatively, use SNMP or telnet if available to query system info.Affected if Firmware version is below 1.0.12.100_hotfix (any version < 1.0.12.100_hotfix)
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Verify fing_dil service availabilityCheck if the fing_dil service is listening on the network. This service typically handles network discovery functions. Use a port scan or network traffic analysis to detect if port 20002/TCP or similar fing service ports are exposed.Affected if The fing_dil service is exposed to network-adjacent attackers (accessible without authentication)
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Confirm remote access exposureReview router firewall settings and access controls. Determine if the fing_dil service can be reached from the WAN or untrusted LAN segments.Affected if Router allows unauthenticated network-adjacent access to the fing_dil service from outside the trusted local network
You are affected if you own a NETGEAR RAX30 router running firmware version below 1.0.12.100_hotfix and the fing_dil service is accessible to unauthenticated network-adjacent attackers.
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 · scoped1.0.12.100_hotfix
Apply NETGEAR firmware updates when available; until then, restrict network access to the router's management interface and disable the fing_dil service if possible to reduce exposure.
RAX30 Firmware version 1.0.12.100_hotfix or later
- Download firmware version 1.0.12.100_hotfix (or later) from the official NETGEAR support website (kb.netgear.com) for the RAX30 router
- Access the NETGEAR RAX30 router web management interface via a browser
- Navigate to the Administration or Advanced settings section
- Locate the Firmware Update option
- Upload the downloaded firmware file and apply the update
- Allow the router to reboot and complete the firmware installation
- Verify the firmware version in the router settings to confirm the update was successful
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-51635 — 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-2023-51635 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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