Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
Some NETGEAR WAC505 and WAC510 wireless access points allowed authentication bypass before firmware 5.0.0.17. An attacker on an adjacent network could potentially reach protected functions without valid credentials, creating a serious risk to device control and network security.
Executive priority
Treat this as a high-priority infrastructure hygiene issue. It affects network access points, requires no credentials, and could undermine trust in local wireless network controls if vulnerable devices remain deployed.
Technical view
CVE-2018-21128 is an authentication bypass affecting NETGEAR WAC505 and WAC510 before 5.0.0.17. CVSS 3.0 is 8.8 with adjacent-network attack vector, low complexity, no privileges, no user interaction, and high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact.
Likely exposure
Exposure is likely limited to organizations running NETGEAR WAC505 or WAC510 access points on firmware earlier than 5.0.0.17, particularly where management or vulnerable services are reachable from adjacent network segments.
Exploitation context
The provided sources do not state active exploitation, and the CVE is not marked in KEV. The CVSS vector indicates exploitation requires adjacent-network reachability but no credentials or user interaction.
Researcher notes
The source bundle identifies affected models and fixed-version threshold but provides no CWE, exploit detail, or operational indicators. The CVE record’s structured affected fields are nonspecific, so rely on the description and NETGEAR advisory for scope.
Mitigation direction
- Upgrade WAC505 and WAC510 devices to firmware 5.0.0.17 or later.
- Review the NETGEAR advisory for device-specific remediation guidance.
- Prioritize devices in sensitive offices, shared networks, or exposed wireless environments.
- If upgrade status is unknown, treat the access point as potentially vulnerable.
Validation and detection
- Inventory NETGEAR WAC505 and WAC510 access points in the environment.
- Confirm each device firmware is 5.0.0.17 or later.
- Check whether device management is reachable from adjacent network segments.
- Review device configuration and logs for unexpected administrative changes.
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.
Credential and access behavior lookup
The CVE wording references authentication or credential exposure, so valid-account and credential-access review may help. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2018-21128 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- High
- CVSS
- 8.8 (3.0)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.0/AC:L/AV:A/A:H/C:H/I:H/PR:N/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:N/S:U/UI:N2.85.9Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.0 score
8.8HighVector: CVSS:3.0/AC:L/AV:A/A:H/C:H/I:H/PR:N/S:U/UI:N
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://kb.netgear.com/000060230/Security-Advisory-for-Authentication-Bypass-on-Some-Wireless-Access-Points-PSV-2018-0264CVE 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.