CVE-2021-20172Public exploit

Root escalation via unverified installer LoginItem

Published Dec 30, 2021 · Updated Aug 3, 2024

Local privilege escalation in NETGEAR genie for macOS 2.4.44 and earlier allows local users to execute a substituted binary as root. The root-run postinstall script invokes sudo open -a on the application's LoginItem path without verifying the binary or rejecting a symlink. A local user must plant the replacement before installation completes; the installer then launches it with root privileges.

CVSS severity6.7
Medium
EPSS probability0.29%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Local privilege escalation in NETGEAR genie for macOS 2.4.44 and earlier allows local users to execute a substituted binary as root. The root-run postinstall script invokes sudo open -a on the application's LoginItem path without verifying the binary or rejecting a symlink. A local user must plant the replacement before installation completes; the installer then launches it with root privileges.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-20172
Published
Dec 30, 2021
Updated
Aug 3, 2024
Vendor
NETGEAR
Product
NETGEAR genie
Classifications
CWE-732, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Dec 30, 2021CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 3, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=All known versions

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

NETGEAR · NETGEAR genieversion=All known versions

Published CVSS scores

5.8TenableCVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:L/A:L
7.2NIST NVDAV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
6.7NETGEARCVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N
7.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

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No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-732Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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