Is CVE-2021-20173 actively exploited?

No active exploitation of CVE-2021-20173 has been confirmed so far. Continue monitoring, as exploit status can change.

Can CVE-2021-20173 be exploited remotely?

Yes. CVE-2021-20173 is exploitable remotely over the network (CVSS attack vector: Network).

What is the CVSS score of CVE-2021-20173?

CVE-2021-20173 has a CVSS score of 8.8 (HIGH).

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HIGH

CVE-2021-20173

CWE-78Published: December 30, 2021· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

8.8

CVSS v3.1

Official Description

Netgear Nighthawk R6700 version 1.0.4.120 contains a command injection vulnerability in update functionality of the device. By triggering a system update check via the SOAP interface, the device is susceptible to command injection via preconfigured values.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2021-20173 can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring physical or adjacent access, significantly expanding the attack surface for threat actors.

Exploitation requires low privileges, which limits the exposure to scenarios where an attacker has already gained initial access.

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 8.8.