HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2021-38530
CRITICAL

CVE-2021-38530

CWE-77Published: August 11, 2021· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

9.8
CVSS v3.1

Official Description

Certain NETGEAR devices are affected by command injection by an unauthenticated attacker. This affects RBK40 before 2.5.1.16, RBR40 before 2.5.1.16, RBS40 before 2.5.1.16, RBK20 before 2.5.1.16, RBR20 before 2.5.1.16, RBS20 before 2.5.1.16, RBK50 before 2.5.1.16, RBR50 before 2.5.1.16, RBS50 before 2.5.1.16, and RBS50Y before 2.6.1.40.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2021-38530 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.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

Exploitability
Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges Req.None
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
Impact
ConfidentialityHigh
IntegrityHigh
AvailabilityHigh
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Affected Vendors & Products

netgear20 product(s)
rbk40 firmwarerbk40rbr40 firmwarerbr40rbs40 firmwarerbs40rbk20 firmwarerbk20rbr20 firmwarerbr20rbs20 firmwarerbs20+8
Source: NVD CPE · 20 total CPE entries

Exploit & PoC Resources

NO KNOWN EXPLOITNo public exploit confirmed at this time
Exploit-DB
Offensive Security exploit database
GitHub PoC Search
Community PoC repositories
Rapid7 / Metasploit
Metasploit module search
PacketStorm
Security advisories & exploits
NVD Detail
Official NIST entry
MITRE CVE
CVE Program entry
External links open in a new tab. Always verify in a controlled environment before use.

Official Patches & Advisories

ADVISORYhttps://kb.netgear.com/000063770/Security-Advisory-for-Pre-Authentication-Command-Injection-on-Some-WiFi-Systems-PSV-2019-0151
ADVISORYhttps://kb.netgear.com/000063770/Security-Advisory-for-Pre-Authentication-Command-Injection-on-Some-WiFi-Systems-PSV-2019-0151

All References (2)

→
https://kb.netgear.com/000063770/Security-Advisory-for-Pre-Authentication-Command-Injection-on-Some-WiFi-Systems-PSV-2019-0151Vendor Advisory
→
https://kb.netgear.com/000063770/Security-Advisory-for-Pre-Authentication-Command-Injection-on-Some-WiFi-Systems-PSV-2019-0151Vendor Advisory

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2021-38530
CVSS Score9.8 / 10
SeverityCRITICAL
WeaknessCWE-77
CISA KEVNo
Affected1 vendor(s)
PublishedAug 11, 2021

Related CVEs (CWE-77)

CVE-2015-7541
10.0
CVE-2014-9682
10.0
CVE-2013-2810
10.0
CVE-2015-5082
10.0
CVE-2014-9188
10.0
CVE-2017-7722
10.0

Recommended Actions

  • →Apply vendor patches immediately
  • →Monitor CVE-2021-38530 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.COM. CVE data is provided under the NVD usage policy.
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