HOME VULNERABILITIESCVE-2016-10176

CRITICALPOC

CVE-2016-10176

CWE-20Published: January 30, 2017· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

9.8

CVSS v3.1

Official Description

The NETGEAR WNR2000v5 router allows an administrator to perform sensitive actions by invoking the apply.cgi URL on the web server of the device. This special URL is handled by the embedded web server (uhttpd) and processed accordingly. The web server also contains another URL, apply_noauth.cgi, that allows an unauthenticated user to perform sensitive actions on the device. This functionality can be exploited to change the router settings (such as the answers to the password-recovery questions) and achieve remote code execution.

Technical Analysis

CVE-2016-10176 can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring physical or adjacent access, significantly expanding the attack surface for threat actors.

The vulnerability requires no privileges and no user interaction, making it a prime target for automated exploitation campaigns and worm-like propagation.

A successful exploit results in complete confidentiality breach (data exposure), full integrity compromise (data manipulation), availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 9.8.

A proof-of-concept (PoC) exploit exists for CVE-2016-10176. While not yet confirmed in active campaigns, the availability of PoC code increases exploitation risk substantially.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

Exploitability

Attack VectorNetwork

Attack ComplexityLow

Privileges Req.None

User InteractionNone

ScopeUnchanged

Impact

ConfidentialityHigh

IntegrityHigh

AvailabilityHigh

CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Affected Vendors & Products

netgear2 product(s)

wnr2000v5 firmwarewnr2000v5

Source: NVD CPE · 2 total CPE entries

Exploit & PoC Resources

POC AVAILABLEProof-of-concept code exists

Offensive Security exploit database

GitHub PoC Search

Community PoC repositories

Rapid7 / Metasploit

Metasploit module search

Security advisories & exploits

Official NIST entry

CVE Program entry

External links open in a new tab. Always verify in a controlled environment before use.

Official Patches & Advisories

PATCHhttp://kb.netgear.com/000036549/Insecure-Remote-Access-and-Command-Execution-Security-Vulnerability

PATCHhttp://kb.netgear.com/000036549/Insecure-Remote-Access-and-Command-Execution-Security-Vulnerability

ADVISORYhttp://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2016/Dec/72

ADVISORYhttp://www.securityfocus.com/bid/95867

ADVISORYhttps://raw.githubusercontent.com/pedrib/PoC/master/advisories/netgear-wnr2000.txt

ADVISORYhttp://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2016/Dec/72

ADVISORYhttp://www.securityfocus.com/bid/95867

ADVISORYhttps://raw.githubusercontent.com/pedrib/PoC/master/advisories/netgear-wnr2000.txt

All References (10)

→

http://kb.netgear.com/000036549/Insecure-Remote-Access-and-Command-Execution-Security-VulnerabilityPatch · Vendor Advisory

→

http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2016/Dec/72Exploit · Third Party Advisory · VDB Entry

→

http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/95867Third Party Advisory · VDB Entry

→

https://raw.githubusercontent.com/pedrib/PoC/master/advisories/netgear-wnr2000.txtExploit · Technical Description · Third Party Advisory

→

https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/40949/

→

http://kb.netgear.com/000036549/Insecure-Remote-Access-and-Command-Execution-Security-VulnerabilityPatch · Vendor Advisory

→

http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2016/Dec/72Exploit · Third Party Advisory · VDB Entry

→

http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/95867Third Party Advisory · VDB Entry

→

https://raw.githubusercontent.com/pedrib/PoC/master/advisories/netgear-wnr2000.txtExploit · Technical Description · Third Party Advisory

→

https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/40949/

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2016-10176

CVSS Score9.8 / 10

SeverityCRITICAL

WeaknessCWE-20

CISA KEVNo

ExploitPOC

Affected1 vendor(s)

PublishedJan 30, 2017

Related CVEs (CWE-20)

Recommended Actions

→Apply vendor patches immediately
→Monitor CVE-2016-10176 in threat intel feeds
→Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts

Data sourced from NVD (NIST), CISA KEV, and EPSS (FIRST). Analysis generated by CTIWatch. CVE data is provided under the NVD usage policy.

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