CVE-2018-21141 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

CVE-2018-21141 pertains to denial of service vulnerabilities in several NETGEAR router models. Learn about the impact, affected systems, and mitigation steps.

Understanding CVE-2018-21141

This CVE involves denial of service vulnerabilities in specific NETGEAR router models.

What is CVE-2018-21141?

The vulnerability allows attackers to launch denial of service attacks on vulnerable NETGEAR devices, impacting their availability.

The Impact of CVE-2018-21141

CVSS Base Score: 4.5 (Medium Severity)
Attack Vector: Adjacent Network
Attack Complexity: Low
Availability Impact: High
Privileges Required: High
Scope: Unchanged
The vulnerability affects various NETGEAR router models, potentially disrupting their services.

Technical Details of CVE-2018-21141

This section covers the vulnerability description, affected systems, and exploitation mechanism.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability in NETGEAR routers allows for denial of service attacks, affecting models like R6100, R7500, R7800, R8900, R9000, WNDR3700v4, WNDR4300, WNDR4300v2, WNDR4500v3, and WNR2000v5.

Affected Systems and Versions

R6100 (version prior to 1.0.1.22)
R7500 (version prior to 1.0.0.122)
R7800 (version prior to 1.0.2.42)
R8900 (version prior to 1.0.3.10)
R9000 (version prior to 1.0.3.10)
WNDR3700v4 (version prior to 1.0.2.96)
WNDR4300 (version prior to 1.0.2.98)
WNDR4300v2 (version prior to 1.0.0.54)
WNDR4500v3 (version prior to 1.0.0.54)
WNR2000v5 (version prior to 1.0.0.64)

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability can be exploited by attackers with high privileges on the network, leading to denial of service on the affected devices.

Mitigation and Prevention

Protect your systems from CVE-2018-21141 with these mitigation strategies.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update affected NETGEAR routers to the latest firmware versions.
Implement network segmentation to minimize the impact of potential attacks.
Monitor network traffic for any signs of denial of service activity.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update router firmware to patch known vulnerabilities.
Conduct security assessments to identify and address potential weaknesses in the network infrastructure.

Patching and Updates

NETGEAR has released patches for the affected router models. Ensure timely installation of these updates to mitigate the vulnerability.