CVE-2021-37560 : What You Need to Know

MediaTek microchips mishandle the WPS protocol, affecting NETGEAR devices through 2021-11-11. The vulnerabilities impact various chipsets and software versions.

Understanding CVE-2021-37560

This CVE involves the mishandling of the WPS protocol by MediaTek microchips, impacting NETGEAR devices and others.

What is CVE-2021-37560?

CVE-2021-37560 refers to the vulnerability in MediaTek microchips that leads to the mishandling of the WPS protocol, impacting several chipsets and software versions, including MT7603E, MT7610, MT7612, MT7613, MT7615, MT7620, MT7622, MT7628, MT7629, MT7915, and software version 7.4.0.0.

The Impact of CVE-2021-37560

The vulnerability has a CVSS score of 8.2, categorizing it as high-severity. It can result in high confidentiality impact and low availability impact. The attack complexity is low, and user interaction is not required for exploitation.

Technical Details of CVE-2021-37560

The vulnerability involves an out-of-bounds write due to the mishandling of the WPS protocol on affected MediaTek microchips.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability allows attackers to exploit the WPS protocol mishandling, potentially leading to unauthorized access and information disclosure.

Affected Systems and Versions

Devices using MediaTek microchips, including NETGEAR devices and others, are impacted. Specifically, chipsets MT7603E, MT7610, MT7612, MT7613, MT7615, MT7620, MT7622, MT7628, MT7629, MT7915, and software version 7.4.0.0 are vulnerable.

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can exploit this vulnerability remotely with a low level of complexity, without requiring privileges or user interaction.

Mitigation and Prevention

Users and organizations can take immediate steps to mitigate the risk posed by CVE-2021-37560.

Immediate Steps to Take

Disable WPS on affected devices, apply patches provided by vendors, and monitor for any unauthorized access.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update devices, implement network segmentation, and follow security best practices to enhance overall cybersecurity.

Patching and Updates

Stay informed about security bulletins from vendors, apply security patches promptly, and conduct regular security assessments to identify and address vulnerabilities.