Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2019-20762 is a post-authentication buffer overflow affecting multiple NETGEAR routers, modem routers, and gateways. An attacker would need authenticated access and adjacent-network reachability, but successful exploitation could seriously affect confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Treat this as a priority for environments still running older NETGEAR firmware.
Executive priority
Prioritize remediation for any affected device that supports business connectivity or remote work. The required privileges reduce likelihood, but successful compromise could have high operational and data-security impact on network infrastructure.
Technical view
The CVE describes a buffer overflow reachable by an authenticated user on specified NETGEAR models before listed firmware versions. CVSS 3.0 score is 6.8 with adjacent attack vector, low complexity, high privileges required, no user interaction, unchanged scope, and high CIA impact.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely where affected NETGEAR D8500, R8500, R8300, R8000, R7300DST, R7100LG, R6900P, R7900P, R8000P, R7000P, R7000, R6900, R6700, or R6400 devices remain on firmware older than the versions listed in the CVE.
Exploitation context
The provided sources do not show CISA KEV listing or active exploitation evidence. The vulnerability is post-authentication and adjacent-network scoped, so exposure depends heavily on who can reach and authenticate to device administration paths.
Researcher notes
The source bundle does not name a CWE, vulnerable endpoint, proof of concept, or exploitation in the wild. Analysis should stay at inventory, firmware comparison, access-control review, and vendor advisory validation unless more vendor detail is obtained.
Mitigation direction
- Identify affected NETGEAR models and compare firmware against the fixed versions listed in the advisory.
- Upgrade affected devices to the vendor-listed fixed firmware version or later.
- Review NETGEAR advisory guidance for any model-specific instructions.
- Restrict router administration access to trusted users and trusted management networks.
- Replace unsupported devices if fixed firmware is unavailable.
Validation and detection
- Inventory NETGEAR device models across offices, homes, labs, and managed network edges.
- Record current firmware versions and compare them with the CVE affected-version list.
- Confirm administrative interfaces are not reachable from untrusted adjacent networks.
- Check vulnerability management records for remediation evidence or accepted-risk exceptions.
- Retest after firmware updates to confirm affected versions are no longer present.
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-2019-20762 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/000060637/Security-Advisory-for-Post-Authentication-Buffer-Overflow-on-Some-Routers-Modem-Routers-and-Gateways-PSV-2018-0197CVE 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.