You should update your Netgear Orbi router now and check for more fixes soon.

Security Warning: Routers can be easily forgotten because users don’t interact with them directly every day, despite their central role in the network. The recently published set of vulnerabilities is the latest in a series of security incidents that have hit routers recently, particularly from Netgear.

Security Researchers at Cisco Talos published four vulnerabilities affecting Netgear Orbi mesh wireless systems. The latest device firmware fixes three issues, but the fourth one remains a threat, so users should keep checking for further updates.

Three exploits, including an unresolved one, affect the main Orbi router. The fourth affects satellites, which extend the range of the router’s Wi-Fi signal when installed in large buildings. Talos basic moments Orbi Satellite RBS750 as the specific model affected, while Netgear lists this device along with several others.

The satellite vulnerability, designated TALOS-2022-1596 (CVE-2022-37337), allows arbitrary commands to be executed if an attacker sends a specific HTTP request. Two other vulnerabilities allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code on the main router in various ways.

TALOS-2022-1595 (CVE-2022-38452) requires a custom network request, while TALOS-2022-1597 (CVE-2022-36429) works via a JSON object. Finally, TALOS-2022-1598 (CVE-2022-38458) allows a hacker to perform a man-in-the-middle attack to obtain sensitive information from the web services management tool of the underlying router.

The firmware update should protect against issues 1596, 1597, and 1598. However, Netgear has yet to fix 1595, the router’s main network request vulnerability.

Netgear reports that exploits that have been fixed have been details under other names from the Talos warning, demand hacker to either enter the Wi-Fi network or gain physical access to the Ethernet network. This means that attackers can only use vulnerabilities over wireless communication with a network password or through an insecure network. In addition, admin credentials are required to solve command execution issues, which means that an attacker would have to log into the router’s control panel.

To download the latest firmware, go to the company website support page and find the model number of your router. Then select Downloads > Current Versions and select the first item with Firmware Version in the title. Click “Release Notes” and follow the instructions from there.

Users must also check the Netgear security updates main page, which contains many more recommendations detailing vulnerabilities in other products this month. More than two dozen warnings appeared on December 28 alone, so those who haven’t updated their Netgear router firmware at all in 2023 should do so as soon as possible.