CVE-2025-12946 Improper input validation in NETGEAR Nighthawk routers
Attackers can execute arbitrary commands on NETGEAR Nighthawk routers by manipulating DNS responses during speedtests via man-in-the-middle attacks.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Not needed
- Attackable
- Local or same network only
- Victim action needed
- A user has to click or open something
- Fix
- None listed
What is CVE-2025-12946?
CVE-2025-12946 is a medium-severity command injection vulnerability in Netgear Rax50 Firmware, published on 9 Dec 2025. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Official description
A vulnerability in the speedtest feature of affected NETGEAR Nighthawk routers, caused by improper input validation, can allow attackers on the router's WAN side, using attacker-in-the-middle techniques (MiTM) to manipulate DNS responses and execute commands when speedtests are run.
This issue affects RS700: through 1.0.7.82; RAX54Sv2 : before V1.1.6.36; RAX41v2: before V1.1.6.36; RAX50: before V1.2.14.114; RAXE500: before V1.2.14.114; RAX41: before V1.0.17.142; RAX43: before V1.0.17.142; RAX35v2: before V1.0.17.142; RAXE450: before V1.2.14.114; RAX43v2: before V1.1.6.36; RAX42: before V1.0.17.142; RAX45: before V1.0.17.142; RAX50v2: before V1.1.6.36; MR90: before V1.0.2.46; MS90: before V1.0.2.46; RAX42v2: before V1.1.6.36; RAX49S: before V1.1.6.36.
Weakness: CWE-20
Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-12946?
It affects 18 products.
Products include Netgear Mr90 Firmware, Netgear Ms90 Firmware, Netgear Rax35v2 Firmware, Netgear Rax41 Firmware, Netgear Rax41v2 Firmware, Netgear Rax42 Firmware and 12 more.
How do I fix CVE-2025-12946?
No fix has been published for CVE-2025-12946 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.
Upgrade, and pass arguments to programs as a list instead of through a shell. More about Command injection.
Is CVE-2025-12946 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-12946 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Sources
Also known as GHSA-w8v2-5vq4-783q.