HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2021-45609
CRITICAL

CVE-2021-45609

CWE-120Published: December 26, 2021· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

9.8
CVSS v3.1

Official Description

Certain NETGEAR devices are affected by a buffer overflow by an unauthenticated attacker. This affects D8500 before 1.0.3.58, R6250 before 1.0.4.48, R7000 before 1.0.11.116, R7100LG before 1.0.0.64, R7900 before 1.0.4.38, R8300 before 1.0.2.144, R8500 before 1.0.2.144, XR300 before 1.0.3.68, R7000P before 1.3.2.132, and R6900P before 1.3.2.132.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2021-45609 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)
d8500 firmwared8500r6250 firmwarer6250r7000 firmwarer7000r7000p firmwarer7000pr6900p firmwarer6900pr7900 firmwarer7900+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

PATCHhttps://kb.netgear.com/000064483/Security-Advisory-for-Pre-Authentication-Buffer-Overflow-on-Some-Routers-PSV-2020-0274
PATCHhttps://kb.netgear.com/000064483/Security-Advisory-for-Pre-Authentication-Buffer-Overflow-on-Some-Routers-PSV-2020-0274

All References (2)

→
https://kb.netgear.com/000064483/Security-Advisory-for-Pre-Authentication-Buffer-Overflow-on-Some-Routers-PSV-2020-0274Patch · Vendor Advisory
→
https://kb.netgear.com/000064483/Security-Advisory-for-Pre-Authentication-Buffer-Overflow-on-Some-Routers-PSV-2020-0274Patch · Vendor Advisory

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2021-45609
CVSS Score9.8 / 10
SeverityCRITICAL
WeaknessCWE-120
CISA KEVNo
Affected1 vendor(s)
PublishedDec 26, 2021

Related CVEs (CWE-120)

CVE-2021-33975
10.0
CVE-1999-1237
10.0
CVE-2017-16740
10.0
CVE-2021-33972
10.0
CVE-2007-1770
10.0
CVE-2001-0191
10.0

Recommended Actions

  • →Apply vendor patches immediately
  • →Monitor CVE-2021-45609 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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