Your cheap Netgear router might have some serious security flaws — here's what we know so far

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Affected Netgear router has reached end-of-life, so don't expect a patch

cables going into the back of a broadband router on white background
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A popular budget-friendly Netgear small business router is vulnerable to half a dozen flaws that could lead to the theft of sensitive information, and possibly even full device takeover, experts have warned.

Since the device reached its end-of-life, Netgear is not expected to release any patches for the flaws, so it might be wise to just replace the endpoint with something newer.

Being budget-friendly, reliable, and easy to use, Netgear’s WNR614 N300 is a popular choice not just in the household, but in small and medium-sized businesses (SMB) as well.

Router risk

Cybersecurity researchers at RedFox Security discovered the following flaws in the WNR614 N300 device:

  • CVE-2024-36787: authentication bypass vulnerability that allows threat actors to access the admin interface. From there, they can tweak router settings and possibly even steal sensitive data.
  • CVE-2024-36788: improper setting of the HTTPOnly flag for cookies flaw, allowing threat actors to intercept sensitive communication between devices.
  • CVE-2024-36789: allows threat actors to create new passwords for the admin account.
  • CVE-2024-36790: this flaw makes the router store login credentials in plaintext format.
  • CVE-2024-36792: poor implementation of WPS grants attackers access to the router’s PIN.
  • CVE-2024-36795: insecure permissions vulnerability allowing threat actors easy access to URLs and directories embedded within the router's firmware.

Mitigations

That being said, chances are many SMBs will keep the device despite the vulnerabilities. In that case, the company suggests applying the following mitigations:

  • Turn off remote management features
  • Create strong passwords
  • Separate the router from critical systems
  • Make sure the router uses HTTPS and use browser settings to enforce HTTPS
  • Turn off WPS
  • Switch to WPA3
  • Restrict access to the router's admin interface.

Being the gateway for the internet, a router is one of the most widespread pieces of technology today. As a result, it is a popular target among cybercriminals looking not just for sensitive data, but also for extra hardware to use in potent DDoS attacks. Securing the router should be mandatory for all households and businesses.

Via BleepingComputer

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Sead Fadilpašić

Sead is a seasoned freelance journalist based in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. He writes about IT (cloud, IoT, 5G, VPN) and cybersecurity (ransomware, data breaches, laws and regulations). In his career, spanning more than a decade, he’s written for numerous media outlets, including Al Jazeera Balkans. He’s also held several modules on content writing for Represent Communications.