# 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.

- **Severity:** Medium 4.4 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:A/AC:H/AT:P/PR:N/UI:A/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:U/S:N/AU:N/R:A/V:D/RE:M/U:Amber`)
- **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 available:** No
- **Published:** 9 Dec 2025
- **Updated:** 26 Feb 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-w8v2-5vq4-783q

## 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 (Improper Input Validation)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-12946?

It affects 18 products.


Products: Netgear Mr90 Firmware, Netgear Ms90 Firmware, Netgear Rax35v2 Firmware, Netgear Rax41 Firmware, Netgear Rax41v2 Firmware, Netgear Rax42 Firmware, Netgear Rax42v2 Firmware, Netgear Rax43 Firmware, Netgear Rax43v2 Firmware, Netgear Rax45 Firmware, Netgear Rax45v2 Firmware, Netgear Rax49s Firmware, Netgear Rax50 Firmware, Netgear Rax50v2 Firmware, Netgear Rax54sv2 Firmware, Netgear Raxe450 Firmware, Netgear Raxe500 Firmware, Netgear Rs700 Firmware.

## 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.

## Is CVE-2025-12946 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-12946 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2025-12946 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: 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.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-12946 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Netgear Rax50 Firmware. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-12946/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-12946/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-12946
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-12946
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-12946

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-12946/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.