Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
This CVE affects several NETGEAR routers and gateways where a logged-in user could trigger command injection. Successful abuse could let an attacker with administrative access run unauthorized system commands and compromise confidentiality, integrity, and availability. It is not listed in CISA KEV, and the provided sources do not show active exploitation.
Executive priority
Treat this as a moderate-priority network hygiene issue. It requires authenticated access, but affected routers can be high-impact control points. Prioritize remediation where these devices support business networks or expose administrative access broadly.
Technical view
CVE-2018-21152 is a post-authentication command injection issue in listed NETGEAR D7800, R7500v2, R7800, R8900, R9000, WNDR4300v2, and WNDR4500v3 firmware versions. The CVSS 3.0 score is 6.8 with adjacent attack vector, low complexity, high privileges required, no user interaction, and high CIA impact.
Likely exposure
Exposure is limited to organizations still running the affected NETGEAR models below the fixed firmware versions, especially where router administration is reachable by users or networks beyond trusted administrators.
Exploitation context
The sources describe post-authentication command injection by an authenticated user. No KEV listing or cited source in the bundle confirms active exploitation, public exploit use, or unauthenticated remote compromise.
Researcher notes
The bundle provides product/version thresholds and CVSS detail but no endpoint, parameter, proof-of-concept, CWE, or vendor mitigation text beyond the advisory reference. Validation should focus on firmware inventory and administrative access scope, not exploit reproduction.
Mitigation direction
- Identify affected NETGEAR models and firmware versions in the environment.
- Upgrade affected devices to firmware versions not listed as vulnerable.
- Check the NETGEAR advisory for device-specific firmware guidance.
- Retire devices that cannot be updated to a non-vulnerable firmware release.
Validation and detection
- Inventory D7800, R7500v2, R7800, R8900, R9000, WNDR4300v2, and WNDR4500v3 devices.
- Compare installed firmware against the affected version thresholds in the CVE description.
- Confirm router administration is limited to authorized administrators.
- Document remediation status and exceptions for any device below the fixed versions.
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-2018-21152 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
- 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/000059481/Security-Advisory-for-Post-Authentication-Command-Injection-on-Some-Gateways-and-Routers-PSV-2017-3152CVE 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.