CVE DatabaseCVE-2016-10174

Updated 2026-06-17한국어 권고문 →

CVE-2016-101749.8/CRITICALCISA KEVCWE-120CWE-120

NETGEAR WNR2000v5 hidden_lang_avi Parameter Buffer Overflow Remote Code Execution (CVE-2016-10174)

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Affected Vendors

netgear

Affected Components

wnr2000v5

Published Date

2017-01-30

CVSS v3.1

9.8

CRITICAL

EPSS (30d)

83.3%

FIRST.org

CISA KEV

Exploited

NVD Source ↗

Executive & SecOps Summary

SECOPS ASSESSMENT

Affected Scope

NETGEAR WNR2000v5 wireless routers.

Impact

Unauthenticated remote attackers can execute arbitrary system commands with root privileges and fully compromise the device by sending a specially crafted HTTP request.

Mitigation

Immediately apply the official firmware update from the vendor and disable remote management interfaces.

Affected Products & Version Scope

NETGEAR WNR2000v5 wireless routers (specific firmware versions)

Remediation & Live Workaround Commands

PATCH & WORKAROUND

1. Official Patch & Version Upgrade Commands

Users must manually download and apply the latest secure firmware version from the official NETGEAR support portal.

bash

# Note: Embedded router environments do not support CLI package managers.
# Use the following curl command to inspect the HTTP response headers and verify the device model/server banner.
curl -s -I http://192.168.1.1 | grep -i 'Server'

2. Temporary Workaround & Hardening Configuration

If immediate patching is not feasible, restrict access to the web interface and ensure Remote Management is disabled on the WAN interface.

bash

# Block external access to the web administration ports (80/443) via iptables if running a custom firewall
iptables -A INPUT -i eth0 -p tcp --dport 80 -j DROP
iptables -A INPUT -i eth0 -p tcp --dport 443 -j DROP

# Ensure 'Turn Remote Management On' is unchecked in the router's Advanced settings GUI.

3. Log Audit & IoC Verification Commands

Deploy IDS signatures to detect exploitation attempts and use verification scripts to identify exposed endpoints.

bash

# Snort/Suricata IDS Signature Example
# alert tcp any any -> $HOME_NET 80 (msg:'NETGEAR WNR2000v5 hidden_lang_avi RCE Attempt'; flow:established,to_server; content:'POST'; http_method; content:'/apply.cgi?/lang_check.html'; http_uri; content:'hidden_lang_avi='; http_client_body; fast_pattern; classtype:attempted-admin; sid:1000001; rev:1;)

# Bash script to check if the vulnerable endpoint is reachable
curl -s -o /dev/null -w 'Response Code: %%{http_code}\
' http://192.168.1.1/apply.cgi?/lang_check.html
# If the response is 200 or 500, isolate the device from public networks immediately.

Interactive SecOps Remediation Checklist

0/4 (0%)

Recommended Security Control & Mitigation Partner

NordLayer / Zero-Trust Network Access

Due to active exploitation in the wild (CISA KEV), immediately disable remote WAN management and upgrade your NETGEAR WNR2000v5 firmware to the latest secure version.

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Technical Root Cause & Exploitation Mechanics

1. Vulnerability Overview & Root Cause

This vulnerability (CVE-2016-10174) is a critical stack-based buffer overflow (CWE-120) residing in the web management interface of NETGEAR WNR2000v5 routers. The root cause lies in the lack of proper input length validation on the hidden_lang_avi HTTP POST parameter when processing requests directed to the /apply.cgi?/lang_check.html URL. When copying this parameter into a fixed-size memory buffer on the stack, the application fails to restrict the input size, leading to memory corruption.

2. Exploitation Mechanics & Attack Scenario

An unauthenticated attacker can exploit this vulnerability remotely without any credentials. The attack vector is highly reliable and proceeds as follows:

The attacker targets the router's web administration port (typically TCP 80) exposed to the WAN or local network.
A crafted HTTP POST request is sent to /apply.cgi?/lang_check.html containing an excessively long string in the hidden_lang_avi parameter.
The payload includes a specific padding sequence to overwrite the stack frame pointer and the return address, followed by malicious shellcode or commands.
As the web server copies the parameter using unsafe string operations, the return address is hijacked, redirecting execution flow to the attacker's payload with root privileges.

3. Infrastructure & Business Impact

With a CVSS score of 9.8 and its inclusion in the CISA KEV catalog, this vulnerability poses an extreme risk. Active exploitation in the wild has been observed, primarily for recruiting devices into IoT botnets. Successful exploitation allows attackers to:

Intercept Network Traffic: Perform DNS hijacking or Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) attacks to steal sensitive user credentials.
Establish Lateral Movement: Use the compromised router as a persistent foothold to scan and attack internal corporate or home networks.
Launch Distributed Attacks: Enroll the device into DDoS botnets (e.g., Mirai variants), causing reputational and operational damage.

Official Vendor Advisories & References

NVD Original English Description

The NETGEAR WNR2000v5 router contains a buffer overflow in the hidden_lang_avi parameter when invoking the URL /apply.cgi?/lang_check.html. This buffer overflow can be exploited by an unauthenticated attacker to achieve remote code execution.

http://kb.netgear.com/000036549/Insecure-Remote-Access-and-Command-Execution-Security-Vulnerability

Source: cve@mitre.org · Vendor Advisory

http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2016/Dec/72

Source: cve@mitre.org · Exploit, Mailing List, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry

http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/95867

Source: cve@mitre.org · Broken Link, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry

https://raw.githubusercontent.com/pedrib/PoC/master/advisories/netgear-wnr2000.txt

Source: cve@mitre.org · Exploit, Technical Description, Third Party Advisory

https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/40949/

Source: cve@mitre.org · Exploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry

https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/41719/

Source: cve@mitre.org · Exploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry

Frequently Asked SecOps Questions (CVE-2016-10174)

FAQ

Q1. How critical is CVE-2016-10174 and is it actively exploited in the wild?

CVE-2016-10174 is rated CVSS 9.8 (CRITICAL) with a 30-day EPSS exploitation probability of 83.3%. It is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, requiring immediate emergency remediation.

Q2. Which vendors and products are affected by CVE-2016-10174?

Primary impacted vendors include netgear across wnr2000v5. Scope summary: NETGEAR WNR2000v5 wireless routers (specific firmware versions)

Q3. What temporary mitigations or workarounds exist for CVE-2016-10174 before patching?

[Mitigation] Immediately apply the official firmware update from the vendor and disable remote management interfaces. Follow the CLI remediation commands and interactive SecOps checklist on this page to restrict exposure prior to your maintenance window.

SECOPS WORKBENCH INTEGRATION