How severe is CVE-2021-20168?

CVE-2021-20168 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.8, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over physical access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2021-20168 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (25th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2021-20168?

CVE-2021-20168 affects Netgear Rax43 Firmware. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2021-20168?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.

When was CVE-2021-20168 published?

CVE-2021-20168 was published on 2021-12-30 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2021-20168

CVE-2021-20168 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Netgear Rax43 Firmware with a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.8. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-287.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 6.8)
CVSS v2: 7.2
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (25th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-287
Affected product: Netgear Rax43 Firmware
Published: 2021-12-30
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

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.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2021-20168?: 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.
How severe is CVE-2021-20168?: CVE-2021-20168 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.8, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over physical access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2021-20168 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (25th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2021-20168?: CVE-2021-20168 affects Netgear Rax43 Firmware. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2021-20168?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2021-20168 published?: CVE-2021-20168 was published on 2021-12-30 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

https://www.tenable.com/security/research/tra-2021-55

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:o:netgear:rax43_firmware:1.0.3.96:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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