Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
This vulnerability affects several NETGEAR routers and gateways running older firmware. A logged-in, highly privileged user on an adjacent network could trigger a stack overflow and potentially disrupt or compromise the device. It is not listed in CISA KEV, and the provided sources do not show active exploitation.
Executive priority
Prioritize remediation where these routers protect business networks, remote offices, or sensitive segments. The privilege and adjacent-network requirements reduce urgency versus unauthenticated remote flaws, but compromised admin access could turn this into a serious network-control risk.
Technical view
CVE-2018-21195 is a post-authentication stack-based buffer overflow in specified NETGEAR devices. CVSS 3.0 is 6.8 with adjacent-network access, low attack complexity, high privileges required, no user interaction, and high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely in small office, branch, lab, or legacy environments still using the listed NETGEAR models below the fixed firmware versions. Risk depends heavily on who can reach device management paths and whether administrative credentials are protected.
Exploitation context
The source data describes authenticated exploitation requiring high privileges and adjacent-network access. No provided source confirms public exploitation, weaponized tooling, or inclusion in CISA KEV. Treat this as a meaningful device-hardening issue, not an emergency internet-wide exploitation event.
Researcher notes
The affected versions are explicitly enumerated, but the bundle lacks CWE mapping, detailed vulnerable component information, exploit details, and operational indicators. Analysis should stay model-and-firmware focused and avoid assuming broader NETGEAR exposure beyond the named devices.
Mitigation direction
- Identify listed NETGEAR models in the environment.
- Upgrade affected devices to the vendor fixed firmware versions or later.
- Restrict router administration to trusted management networks only.
- Review NETGEAR advisory guidance for each exact model.
- Replace devices that cannot run fixed vendor firmware.
Validation and detection
- Inventory NETGEAR model and firmware versions.
- Compare firmware against the fixed thresholds in the CVE description.
- Confirm management access is limited to authorized administrators.
- Review device admin accounts for unnecessary privileged users.
- Check device logs for unusual administrative activity.
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-2018-21195 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/000055162/Security-Advisory-for-Post-Authentication-Stack-Overflow-on-Some-Routers-and-Gateways-PSV-2017-2600CVE 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.