Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
This CVE affects specific NETGEAR routers and gateways running older firmware. An authenticated user could trigger a stack-based buffer overflow, potentially affecting confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The required access and complexity reduce urgency, but exposed or shared-admin environments should patch promptly.
Executive priority
Treat this as a targeted patching item, not an emergency internet-wide event. Prioritize any affected device that protects business networks, supports remote work, or has administration reachable by multiple users.
Technical view
CVE-2019-20740 is a post-authentication stack-based buffer overflow in certain NETGEAR devices: DGN2200v4, DGND2200Bv4, R7300, R8300, and R8500 before listed fixed firmware versions. CVSS 3.0 is 6.3 with high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact but high privileges, adjacent access, high complexity, and user interaction required.
Likely exposure
Exposure is likely limited to organizations still operating the named NETGEAR models below the fixed firmware versions. Risk is highest where router administration is shared, weakly controlled, or reachable from untrusted adjacent networks.
Exploitation context
The provided sources do not show CISA KEV listing or active exploitation. The CVSS vector indicates exploitation requires adjacent access, high privileges, high complexity, and user interaction, which reduces broad opportunistic risk.
Researcher notes
The CVE record lists affected versions but provides no CWE mapping and no detailed vulnerable component. The evidence supports post-authentication stack overflow impact and fixed firmware thresholds, but not exploit availability or active abuse.
Mitigation direction
- Upgrade DGN2200v4 to firmware 1.0.0.110 or later.
- Upgrade DGND2200Bv4 to firmware 1.0.0.109 or later.
- Upgrade R7300 to firmware 1.0.0.70 or later.
- Upgrade R8300 and R8500 to firmware 1.0.2.130 or later.
- Check the NETGEAR advisory for model-specific firmware guidance.
Validation and detection
- Inventory NETGEAR DGN2200v4, DGND2200Bv4, R7300, R8300, and R8500 devices.
- Compare installed firmware against the fixed versions listed in the CVE description.
- Confirm administrative access is restricted to trusted users and networks.
- Verify firmware update completion through device administration records or asset management.
- Review available administrative logs for unexpected authenticated 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.
CVE-2019-20740 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
- 6.3 (3.0)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.0/AC:H/AV:A/A:H/C:H/I:H/PR:H/S:U/UI:R
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:H/AV:A/A:H/C:H/I:H/PR:H/S:U/UI:R0.45.9Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.0 score
6.3MediumVector: CVSS:3.0/AC:H/AV:A/A:H/C:H/I:H/PR:H/S:U/UI:R
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://kb.netgear.com/000060976/Security-Advisory-for-Post-Authentication-Stack-Overflow-on-Some-Routers-and-Gateways-PSV-2018-0258CVE 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.