External risk intelligence

Netgear R6250 Command Injection Vulnerability

CVE advisorySeverity: CRITICAL (CVSS 9.8)

CVE-2023-33532

This vulnerability affects a home router's web management interface. While management interfaces are ideally restricted to the local network, they are commonly exposed to the internet via misconfiguration or remote management features enabled by users, and these devices are designed to act as edge gateway services.

Command Injection

Netgear R6250 Firmware

1.0.4.48

Halo Surface Signal: 4 out of 5 — likely to be public-facing.

External exposure likelihood

Horizon Alert

Summary of the vulnerability and why it matters

This advisory details a critical vulnerability in Netgear R6250 routers that, if exploited, could allow an attacker with web management access to gain full control of the device. The issue arises from a command injection flaw within the router's firmware.

Commands can be injected to take over the router.
A critical flaw impacts network edge devices.
Confirm if this router is in use to assess risk.

Attack Path

How an attacker could exploit the issue

An attacker with administrative access to the router's web management interface can exploit this vulnerability by submitting specially crafted commands within POST requests. This allows them to gain shell access, potentially leading to full control over the device.

Requires web management privileges.
Injects commands via POST request parameters.
Risk of unauthorized shell access.

Live Threat

Current exploitation, exposure, and threat context

A command injection vulnerability in the Netgear R6250 router's web management interface could allow an authenticated attacker to execute arbitrary commands with shell privileges. This could occur when an attacker with web management access crafts a malicious POST request containing injected commands.

Router's command execution is at risk.
Malicious POST requests can inject commands.
Unauthorized command execution could occur.

Operational Fix

Recommended remediation, mitigation, and detection steps

This command injection vulnerability in Netgear R6250 firmware requires attackers to first gain web management privileges. Infrastructure or network security teams should identify all instances of this device, confirm its exposure to the internet, and assess if web management is enabled externally. The first practical step involves verifying device reachability and identifying the accountable owner for remediation planning based on the associated risk.

Network infrastructure teams own the issue.
Verify external management interface exposure.
Plan risk-based remediation actions.

Supplementary metadata

CVSS vector

Validate whether this threat affects your internet-facing exposure.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the Netgear R6250 and its firmware?

The Netgear R6250 is a networking device designed to act as a home router and edge gateway service, managing internet traffic for connected devices. It runs proprietary firmware, specifically version 1.0.4.48 in this context, which provides the operating environment and web-based management interface used to configure the router's settings and network operations.

What does CWE-77 mean for CVE-2023-33532?

CWE-77 refers to Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in a Command, commonly known as command injection. For this CVE, it means the router's software does not properly filter input. Because of this weakness, an attacker can input specific characters within web management requests that the device misinterprets as system-level commands, allowing them to execute unauthorized code with shell-level privileges.

How is this command injection triggered?

The vulnerability is triggered when an attacker submits a malicious POST request to the router's web management interface. Successful execution requires that the attacker has already obtained web management privileges on the device. Simply browsing the router's public web pages or sending standard traffic that does not interact with these specific management parameters will not trigger the flaw.

Is my Netgear R6250 at risk if it is internal?

While the Halo Surface Signal indicates this router is an edge device, the risk level depends on how you configured it. If the web management interface is restricted to your local network, the risk is lower than if the interface is exposed to the internet. However, since the device is designed to be an internet gateway, any misconfiguration that exposes the management portal to external traffic significantly increases the likelihood of unauthorized access.

Do I need to take action if I use this router?

Yes, start by identifying if your network includes the Netgear R6250 with the affected firmware version. Confirm whether your device has the web management interface accessible from outside your local network. Your primary goal is to limit the attack surface by ensuring management interfaces are not internet-facing and by documenting ownership to coordinate further security updates or configuration changes.

References

Written by Nicholas Merritt

Nicholas Merritt is VP of Security Solutions at Halo Security. With more than 25 years across application security, vulnerability prioritization, and offensive security, he helps teams translate threat data into practical exposure validation and remediation focus. He authors Halo Threat Intelligence CVE advisories using Halo Surface Signal and H/A/L/O context to prioritize internet-facing risk.