CVE-2021-20168
Netgear RAX43 version 1.0.3.96 does not have sufficient protections to the UART interface. A...
Netgear RAX43 version 1.0.3.96 does not have sufficient protections to the UART interface. A malicious actor with physical access to the device is able to connect to the UART port via a serial connection, login with default credentials, and execute commands as the root user. These default credentials are admin:admin.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Physical
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- None
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
NVD Score used
6.8
Netgear RAX43 version 1.0.3.96 does not have sufficient protections to the UART interface. A malicious actor with physical access to the device is able to connect to the UART port via a serial connection, login with default credentials, and execute commands as the root user. These default credentials are admin:admin.
- Record
CVE-2021-20168- CVSS 3.1
- 6.8 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:P/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - CVSS 2.0
- 7.2 High
AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C - Weakness
- CWE-287
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
CVE List No score
Netgear RAX43 version 1.0.3.96 does not have sufficient protections to the UART interface. A malicious actor with physical access to the device is able to connect to the UART port via a serial connection, login with default credentials, and execute commands as the root user. These default credentials are admin:admin.
- Record
CVE-2021-20168- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2021-7625 No score
Netgear RAX43 version 1.0.3.96 does not have sufficient protections to the UART interface. A malicious actor with physical access to the device is able to connect to the UART port via a serial connection, login with default credentials, and execute commands as the root user. These default credentials are admin:admin.
- Record
EUVD-2021-7625- Updated
- 2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-xvmx-9r4c-crmv
6.8
Netgear RAX43 version 1.0.3.96 does not have sufficient protections to the UART interface. A...
Netgear RAX43 version 1.0.3.96 does not have sufficient protections to the UART interface. A malicious actor with physical access to the device is able to connect to the UART port via a serial connection, login with default credentials, and execute commands as the root user. These default credentials are admin:admin.
- Record
GHSA-xvmx-9r4c-crmv- CVSS 3.1
- 6.8 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:P/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-522
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| aliases | EUVD | |
| first indexed | CVE List, GitHub Advisories, NVD |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2021-20168 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 6.8) in Netgear Rax43 Firmware, published December 30, 2021. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.34%, the 28th percentile. No source names a fixed version.