CVE-2017-5521 — NETGEAR Multiple Devices Exposure of Sensitive Information Vulnerability
An issue was discovered on NETGEAR R8500, R8300, R7000, R6400, R7300, R7100LG, R6300v2, WNDR3400v3, WNR3500Lv2, R6250, R6700, R6900, and R8000 devices. They are prone to password disclosure via simple crafted requests to the web management server. The bug is exploitable remotely if the remote management option is set, and can also be exploited given access to the router over LAN or WLAN. When trying to access the web panel, a user is asked to authenticate; if the authentication is canceled and password recovery is not enabled, the user is redirected to a page that exposes a password recovery token. If a user supplies the correct token to the page /passwordrecovered.cgi?id=TOKEN (and password recovery is not enabled), they will receive the admin password for the router. If password recovery is set the exploit will fail, as it will ask the user for the recovery questions that were previously set when enabling that feature. This is persistent (even after disabling the recovery option, the exploit will fail) because the router will ask for the security questions.
Who exploits it and how urgent it is
A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.
How the score was calculated
- Confirmed exploitation (CISA KEV)+35
- Public exploit/PoC (nuclei, metasploit, exploitdb)+20
- EPSS 89.2% (30-day exploitation probability)+15
- Technical severity (high)+6
The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).
Triage
Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.
CISA SSVC assessment CISA
Three decision points CISA publishes for the CVEs it assesses (SSVC 2.0.3). A stakeholder decision, not a severity score.
Remediation
Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.
No fix documented by the sources we poll. That does not mean none exists: check the vendor advisory.
CISA required action CISA
Apply updates per vendor instructions. If the affected device has since entered end-of-life, it should be disconnected if still in use.
US federal deadline: Sep 29, 2022 — passed 1478 day(s) ago
First 24 hours
Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.
- Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Netgear Ac1450 Firmware, Netgear D6220 Firmware, Netgear D6300 Firmware…).
- Treat as emergency remediation: the CVE is in CISA KEV (confirmed exploitation).
- The attack is network-based and needs no privileges: restrict exposure (ACLs, VPN, WAF) until patched.
- No fix documented in the sources: reduce exposure and monitor the vendor advisory.
- EPSS ahead of 100% of scored CVEs: prioritize it in the patch queue.
- Search available logs for exploit probes, errors and authentication anomalies.
Affected scope
Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Netgear | Ac1450 Firmware | version 1.0.0.34_10.0.16 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Netgear | D6220 Firmware | version 1.0.0.12 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Netgear | D6300 Firmware | version 1.0.0.96 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Netgear | D6300b Firmware | version 1.0.0.40 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Netgear | D6400 Firmware | version 1.0.0.44 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Netgear | Dgn2200bv4 Firmware | version 1.0.0.68 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Netgear | R6200 Firmware | version 1.0.1.56_1.0.43 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Netgear | R6300 Firmware | version 1.0.2.78_1.0.58 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Netgear | Vegn2610 Firmware | version 1.0.0.36 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Netgear | Wndr3700v3 Firmware | version 1.0.0.40_1.0.32 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Netgear | Wndr4000 Firmware | version 1.0.2.4_9.1.86 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Netgear | Wndr4500 Firmware | version 1.0.1.44_1.0.73 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Netgear | Wnr1000v3 Firmware | version 1.0.2.68_60.0.93 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
Attack characteristics
The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.
Every base score collected
Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.
| Score | Version | Severity | Expl. | Impact | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8.1 | CVSS 3.1 | High | 2.2 | 5.9 | nvd@nist.gov via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 8.1 | CVSS 3.1 | High | 2.2 | 5.9 | 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0 via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 8.1 | CVSS 3.1 | High | — | — | CISA-ADP via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
| 8.1 | CVSS 3.0 | High | — | — | GitHub, Inc. via GitHub Security Advisories |
| 4.3 | CVSS 2.0 | Medium | 8.6 | 2.9 | nvd@nist.gov via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H (score shown at the top: nvd@nist.gov) CISA KEV details CISA
CISA lists a CVE once it has evidence of exploitation against real targets.
CISA records ransomware use only for campaigns it has confirmed, so “Unknown” means unrecorded, not ruled out. The deadline binds US federal agencies; for everyone else it is a reference date.
Public exploits, PoCs and detection templates
Public code that demonstrates or tests the flaw raises the odds of mass exploitation — and Nuclei templates help find vulnerable assets in your environment.
- Netgear Routers - Password Disclosure verified Jan 30, 2017
Warning: public PoCs are sometimes disguised malware. Use them only for authorized testing in an isolated environment. This portal does not host exploit code — it only points to the sources.
EPSS over time FIRST
Oct 13, 2026 → Oct 15, 2026 · 3 reading(s) · max 89.25%
Detection
Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.
- Prioritize edge telemetry for the network-reachable component (proxy, WAF, IDS/IPS).
- Hunt retroactively in logs from before Sep 8, 2022 (KEV listing): exploitation may have started earlier.
Timeline
What happened to this CVE, newest first.
- 2026
- SSVC assessment updated
- Record published
- Affected products added · netgear/r6200 firmware, netgear/r6300 firmware, netgear/vegn2610 firmware, netgear/ac1450 firmware, netgear/wnr1000v3 fi
- CVSS changed · 8.1
- Source status changed · → Analyzed
- Added to CISA KEV (detected)
- Record created in this database
- 2022
- Added to CISA KEV catalog
- 2017
- CVE published
Source activity
Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.
- 2× References added · Oct 13, 2026 – Oct 13, 2026
- 1× Official description updated · Oct 13, 2026 – Oct 13, 2026
References
7 on the record
- kb.netgear.com/30632/Web-GUI-Password-Recovery-and-Exposure-Security-Vulnerability
- www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-5521
- www.exploit-db.com/exploits/41205
- github.com/advisories/GHSA-6cqf-r56h-g5xf
- www.securityfocus.com/bid/95457
- www.exploit-db.com/exploits/41205/
Elsewhere on this site
Related CVEs (same products)
- High CVE-2016-6277 NETGEAR Multiple Routers Remote Code Execution Vulnerability KEV Dec 14, 2016
Not in any source we poll
Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.
- No fixed version, patch or mitigation documented.
- No CWE classification.
- No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
- No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
- No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.
Answered from this record
Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.
What should defenders know first?
CVE-2017-5521 is "NETGEAR Multiple Devices Exposure of Sensitive Information Vulnerability", rated High. It affects Ac1450 Firmware (Netgear); versions are in the scope table. It is in CISA KEV: there is evidence of real-world exploitation. CVSS 8.1 describes technical severity. EPSS 89.25% estimates the probability of exploitation in 30 days; neither replaces your asset context. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.
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