Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2018-21179 is a NETGEAR router and gateway flaw where a logged-in user could trigger a stack-based buffer overflow. The impact is potentially serious for confidentiality, integrity, and availability, but the attack requires authentication and adjacent-network access per the CVSS vector.
Executive priority
Treat this as a targeted network-device hygiene issue, not an emergency based on available evidence. Prioritize remediation for affected devices in business networks, shared facilities, or environments where non-administrators can reach router management services.
Technical view
The CVE describes post-authentication stack-based buffer overflow exposure in multiple NETGEAR D, R, WNDR, and WNR models before specified firmware versions. CVSS 3.0 is 6.8 with adjacent-network attack vector, low complexity, high privileges required, no user interaction, and high CIA impact.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely in organizations still operating the listed NETGEAR models with firmware older than the fixed versions. Risk is reduced where administrative access is restricted and untrusted users cannot reach the device management plane on the local or adjacent network.
Exploitation context
The source bundle does not show CISA KEV listing or active exploitation evidence. The flaw is post-authentication, so compromise or misuse of a privileged device account appears necessary before the vulnerability matters operationally.
Researcher notes
No CWE is provided in the bundle. The CVSS vector indicates adjacent access and high privileges, but high impact after successful triggering. Avoid assuming remote unauthenticated exploitation or public exploit availability without additional source evidence.
Mitigation direction
- Upgrade affected NETGEAR devices to the listed fixed firmware versions or newer.
- Restrict router administration access to trusted management networks and administrators.
- Remove or replace unsupported devices if fixed firmware is unavailable.
- Review NETGEAR advisory guidance before applying operational changes.
Validation and detection
- Inventory NETGEAR D6100, D7800, R7500, R7800, R9000, WNDR, and WNR models.
- Compare installed firmware against the fixed versions listed in the CVE description.
- Confirm administrative interfaces are not reachable by untrusted adjacent-network users.
- Check vulnerability management records for CVE-2018-21179 remediation status.
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.
CVE-2018-21179 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/000055179/Security-Advisory-for-Post-Authentication-Stack-Overflow-on-Some-Routers-and-Gateways-PSV-2017-2620CVE 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.