Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2019-20765 is a post-authentication stack-based buffer overflow affecting NETGEAR R7800 routers before firmware 1.0.2.52. An attacker already authenticated with high privileges and adjacent network access could potentially compromise confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The business risk is mainly unmanaged or outdated routers in small office, branch, or home-office environments.
Executive priority
Treat this as a targeted router hygiene issue, not an emergency internet-wide event based on the provided evidence. Prioritize firmware verification for branch, lab, and remote-office routers because compromise of a network edge device can affect traffic visibility and service reliability.
Technical view
The CVE describes a stack-based buffer overflow in NETGEAR R7800 firmware versions before 1.0.2.52. CVSS 3.0 is 6.8 with adjacent attack vector, low attack complexity, high privileges required, no user interaction, and high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts. Public technical details in the bundle are limited.
Likely exposure
Exposure is likely limited to organizations still running NETGEAR R7800 devices below firmware 1.0.2.52, especially where administrative access is broadly available on local or adjacent networks. The bundle does not identify other affected products or CPEs.
Exploitation context
The source bundle does not show CISA KEV listing or any cited evidence of active exploitation. The vulnerability is post-authentication and requires high privileges, which reduces opportunistic risk but still matters if admin credentials are shared, weak, reused, or compromised.
Researcher notes
The bundle provides a concise CVE description, CVSS vector, and NETGEAR advisory reference, but lacks function names, vulnerable parameters, exploit details, and CWE assignment. Do not expand affected scope beyond NETGEAR R7800 before 1.0.2.52 without additional vendor evidence.
Mitigation direction
- Inventory NETGEAR R7800 devices and record current firmware versions.
- Upgrade affected R7800 routers to firmware 1.0.2.52 or later per NETGEAR guidance.
- Restrict router administration to trusted users and management networks.
- Review vendor advisory for any additional model-specific instructions.
- Replace unsupported or unmanageable devices if firmware cannot be updated.
Validation and detection
- Confirm each R7800 reports firmware version 1.0.2.52 or later.
- Check asset records for unmanaged R7800 devices in offices and remote locations.
- Verify administrative interfaces are not broadly reachable from untrusted networks.
- Review admin account lists for unnecessary or shared privileged access.
- Document exceptions where upgrade is delayed and track compensating controls.
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-2019-20765 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/000060634/Security-Advisory-for-Post-Authentication-Stack-Overflow-on-R7800-PSV-2018-0136CVE 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.