CVE-2019-20681 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

NETGEAR devices are vulnerable to authentication bypass, impacting various models such as D6200, D7000, JR6150, PR2000, R6050, R6120, R6220, R6260, R6700v2, R6800, and R6900v2.

Understanding CVE-2019-20681

This CVE identifies a critical vulnerability in multiple NETGEAR router models that allows unauthorized access.

What is CVE-2019-20681?

The vulnerability in certain NETGEAR devices enables attackers to bypass authentication, potentially leading to unauthorized access to the affected devices.

The Impact of CVE-2019-20681

The vulnerability poses a high severity risk with a CVSS base score of 7.1, allowing attackers to compromise the integrity of the affected devices.

Technical Details of CVE-2019-20681

The technical aspects of the CVE provide insight into the specific details of the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability allows for authentication bypass on NETGEAR devices, affecting models like D6200, D7000, and others listed in the description.

Affected Systems and Versions

The following NETGEAR router models are impacted by this vulnerability:

D6200 (version prior to 1.1.00.34)
D7000 (version prior to 1.0.1.68)
JR6150 (version prior to 1.0.1.18)
PR2000 (version prior to 1.0.0.28)
R6050 (version prior to 1.0.1.18)
R6120 (version prior to 1.0.0.46)
R6220 (version prior to 1.1.0.80)
R6260 (version prior to 1.1.0.64)
R6700v2 (version prior to 1.2.0.36)
R6800 (version prior to 1.2.0.36)
R6900v2 (version prior to 1.2.0.36)

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability can be exploited remotely with low complexity, requiring minimal privileges and no user interaction.

Mitigation and Prevention

Protecting against CVE-2019-20681 involves immediate actions and long-term security practices.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update affected NETGEAR devices to the latest firmware versions.
Implement strong, unique passwords for device access.
Monitor network activity for any suspicious behavior.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly check for security updates and patches from NETGEAR.
Conduct security audits and penetration testing on network devices.

Patching and Updates

NETGEAR provides patches and firmware updates to address the authentication bypass vulnerability in the affected router models.