CVE-2018-21161 in D7800
Summary
by MITRE
Certain NETGEAR devices are affected by incorrect configuration of security settings. This affects D7800 before 1.0.1.34, R7800 before 1.0.2.46, and R9000 before 1.0.3.16.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/12/2020
This vulnerability affects NETGEAR routers and networking equipment where security settings have been improperly configured, creating potential entry points for malicious actors. The affected models include the D7800 firmware versions prior to 1.0.1.34, R7800 firmware versions prior to 1.0.2.46, and R9000 firmware versions prior to 1.0.3.16. These devices are part of NETGEAR's consumer and enterprise networking product lines that typically serve as the primary gateway between local networks and the internet, making them attractive targets for attackers seeking to establish persistent access or conduct network reconnaissance.
The root cause of this vulnerability lies in the improper implementation of security configurations within the affected firmware versions. This misconfiguration likely involves weak default settings, insufficient access controls, or inadequate authentication mechanisms that allow unauthorized users to gain administrative privileges or access sensitive system functions. The vulnerability represents a failure in the secure configuration principle where devices are deployed with insecure default settings that should be immediately changed by administrators but remain unaddressed in many deployments. According to the CWE database, this aligns with CWE-16 which describes deficiencies in the design or implementation of security features in software or hardware. The improper configuration can manifest as weak default passwords, enabled unnecessary services, or accessible administrative interfaces without proper authentication.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as it creates a persistent threat vector that can be exploited by attackers to establish long-term presence within network environments. Once exploited, malicious actors can potentially perform man-in-the-middle attacks, redirect traffic, install malware, or use the compromised device as a pivot point to attack other systems within the local network. The affected devices typically serve as the primary network gateway, making them critical infrastructure components where compromise can lead to complete network infiltration. This vulnerability particularly affects the attack surface defined in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the T1071.001 technique for application layer protocol: web protocols, as attackers may leverage web-based interfaces to exploit these insecure configurations. The impact is amplified in enterprise environments where these devices often connect to critical business systems and may lack proper network segmentation.
Mitigation strategies should prioritize immediate firmware updates to the latest versions that address the security misconfigurations. Network administrators should also implement network segmentation to limit the potential impact of device compromise, disable unnecessary services, and ensure that administrative interfaces are not directly accessible from untrusted networks. Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments should be conducted to identify similar misconfigurations across the entire network infrastructure. The remediation process should follow industry standards including NIST SP 800-53 for security controls and the CWE mitigation strategies for configuration management. Organizations should also implement continuous monitoring solutions to detect unauthorized access attempts and maintain detailed network access logs to facilitate incident response activities. Additionally, security awareness training for network administrators is crucial to prevent the recurrence of such misconfigurations in newly deployed devices.