Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2018-21098 affects NETGEAR R7800 routers running firmware before 1.0.2.60. An already authenticated user on an adjacent network could trigger command injection, potentially causing serious confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact on the device.
Executive priority
Treat this as a moderate-priority network infrastructure fix. It requires authentication, but successful exploitation could fully compromise router confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Prioritize internet-edge or shared-site routers first.
Technical view
The CVE describes post-authentication command injection in NETGEAR R7800 firmware before 1.0.2.60. CVSS 3.0 is 6.8 with adjacent-network access, low complexity, high privileges required, no user interaction, unchanged scope, and high impact to confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
Likely exposure
Exposure is limited to NETGEAR R7800 devices on firmware before 1.0.2.60 where an authenticated user can reach the router management surface from an adjacent network. The source bundle does not identify other affected products.
Exploitation context
The source bundle does not show CISA KEV listing or other evidence of active exploitation. Risk depends heavily on who has authenticated access to the router and whether management access is reachable from less trusted local networks.
Researcher notes
Evidence is sparse: the CVE record and NETGEAR advisory identify the affected model, version boundary, and post-authentication command injection class, but do not provide detailed vulnerable parameters, exploit status, or broader product impact in the supplied bundle.
Mitigation direction
- Upgrade NETGEAR R7800 firmware to 1.0.2.60 or later, following NETGEAR guidance.
- Restrict router administration to trusted networks and trusted accounts only.
- Review and remove unnecessary router user accounts or shared credentials.
- Check NETGEAR advisory updates before relying on compensating controls.
Validation and detection
- Inventory NETGEAR R7800 routers and record current firmware versions.
- Confirm no R7800 device remains below firmware 1.0.2.60.
- Verify router management access is not reachable from untrusted adjacent networks.
- Review router accounts for unnecessary authenticated access.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
Execution behavior lookup
The CVE wording references code or command execution, so execution technique review may help defensive triage. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2018-21098 mapping review
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Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- Medium
- CVSS
- 6.8 (3.0)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.0/AC:L/AV:A/A:H/C:H/I:H/PR:H/S:U/UI:N
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CVSS vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.0/AC:L/AV:A/A:H/C:H/I:H/PR:H/S:U/UI:N0.95.9Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.0 score
6.8MediumVector: CVSS:3.0/AC:L/AV:A/A:H/C:H/I:H/PR:H/S:U/UI:N
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://kb.netgear.com/000060452/Security-Advisory-for-Post-Authentication-Command-Injection-on-R7800-PSV-2018-0365CVE reference · x_refsource_CONFIRM
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.