• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

The U.S. spent $30 billion to ditch textbooks for laptops and tablets: The result is the first generation less cognitively capable than their parents

2

Current price of oil as of July 13, 2026

3

Trump embraces Australian retirement system backed by Larry Fink

1

The U.S. spent $30 billion to ditch textbooks for laptops and tablets: The result is the first generation less cognitively capable than their parents

2

Current price of oil as of July 13, 2026

3

Trump embraces Australian retirement system backed by Larry Fink
TechCybersecurity

Unplug Your Easily Hijacked Netgear Routers Pronto

Robert Hackett
By
Robert Hackett
Robert Hackett
Down Arrow Button Icon
Robert Hackett
By
Robert Hackett
Robert Hackett
Down Arrow Button Icon
December 12, 2016, 7:44 PM ET
Inside Russian Internet Retailer Ulmart's Fulfillment Center As Sales Top $1b
An employee organises a stock of Netgear Inc. internet routers in the goods warehouse inside a fulfilment center operated by Ulmart, Russia's largest online electronics retailer, in Saint Petersburg, Russia, on Friday, March 7, 2014. Ulmart, the online electronics retailer backed by ex-Lenta Ltd. shareholders Dmitry Kostygin and August Meyer seeks to grow 60% this year as it expands into regions, with new product categories such as children goods, auto parts. Photographer: Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesAndrey Rudakov—Bloomberg via Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Netgear has yet to fix a critical vulnerability uncovered by a hacker in several of its home Wi-Fi router models.

A security researcher using the online alias “Acew0rm” discovered the flaw, which allows attackers to gain complete control of affected routers with minimal effort. Last week, the researcher released the details of a simple exploit, or code that takes advantage of the vulnerability.

Acew0rm alerted Netgear to the problem on Aug. 25, but never heard back, the researcher told Fortune in a direct message on Twitter. So four months later, Acew0rm took the find public.

Netgear did not immediately reply to Fortune’s request for comment.

“Exploiting this vulnerability is trivial,” US-CERT, a cybersecurity unit within the Department of Homeland Security, warned in a bulletin on Friday. The note urged consumers to “strongly consider discontinuing use of affected devices until a fix is made available.”

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

To take over a Netgear customer’s machine, an attacker must merely append commands, or computer instructions, to a URL being accessed by someone on an affected network. An attacker can do this by tricking a person into clicking on a malicious link or visiting a booby-trapped website that is running the exploit code.

Because the Netgear routers fail to filter out unauthorized commands, they easily succumb to an attacker’s bidding. With the correct set of instructions—for instance, opening Telnet, a channel that admits remote logins on a certain router port—the device becomes compromised.

Netgear acknowledged the problem in a brief security advisory posted Sunday. The networking equipment maker pointed to three models that are possibly vulnerable: its R7000, R6400, and R8000 routers.

The problem may be more extensive than Netgear has let on, however. Another security researcher who goes by the alias “Kalypto Pink” warned in a separate post that additional models are also open to attack.

For more on hacking, watch:

“I have tested all models below, with the exception of the R9000, and have found them to be vulnerable,” Kalypto said. The researcher listed the following routers.

  • NetGear AC1750-Smart WiFi Router (Model R6400)
  • NetGear AC1900-Nighthawk Smart WiFi Router (Model R7000)
  • NetGear AC2300-Nighthawk Smart WiFi Router with MU-MIMO (Model R7000P)
  • NetGear AC2350-Nighthawk X4 AC 2350 Dual Band WiFi Router (Model R7500)
  • NetGear AC2600-Nighthawk X4S Smart WiFi Gaming Router (Model R7800)
  • NetGear AC3200-Nighthawk AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router (Model R8000)
  • NetGear AC5300-AC5300 Nighthawk X8 Tri-Band WiFi Router (Model R8500)
  • NetGear AD7200-Nighthawk X10 Smart WiFi Router (R9000)

Some researchers have devised a temporary fix that involves exploiting the vulnerability itself. It’s simple, though the simplest solution is simply to switch off your router until further notice.

Here’s how the workaround works. You can block attacks simply by clicking on a version of the following link, http://[router-address]/cgi-bin/;killall$IFS’httpd’, except replace “[router-address]” with your router’s locally assigned IP address, as Bas van Shaick, a Dutch data scientist, noted on his personal blog. (For reference, here’s a primer on determining your router’s IP address.)

Clicking on that link will execute a command that disables the web server embedded in affected routers, preventing them from processing incoming commands without affecting their ability to connect to the Internet.

To see whether the workaround succeeded, simply click on a version of the following link, http://[router-address]/cgi-bin/;uname$IFS-a, except once again replace “[router-address]” with your router’s locally assigned IP address. The accessed Web page should show a error or blank page, otherwise you can assume that the fix didn’t work.

Be careful though, the workaround will last only so long as the router is not rebooted. Until the networking equipment maker pushes patches, its probably wisest for customers to unplug affected devices.

About the Author
Robert Hackett
By Robert Hackett
Instagram iconLinkedIn iconTwitter icon
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

Jony Ive (left), formerly with Apple and now with OpenAI, standing next to Laurene Powell Jobs, the widow of Apple founder Steve Jobs, at an event in 2022.
AIOpenAI
Stolen laptops, data breaches, secret moles, and recruiting-as-espionage. Here are the wildest claims in Apple’s lawsuit against OpenAI
By Emily ForliniJuly 13, 2026
7 hours ago
Elon Musk and Sam Altman are accusing each other of scamming investors as SpaceX and OpenAI jockey to lead AI revolution
AIBillionaires
Elon Musk and Sam Altman are accusing each other of scamming investors as SpaceX and OpenAI jockey to lead AI revolution
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJuly 13, 2026
7 hours ago
u
PoliticsSocial Media
Europe to social media platforms: make yourself safe for kids under 13, somehow
By Lorne Cook, Kelvin Chan and The Associated PressJuly 13, 2026
10 hours ago
Meta’s AI data center cost went from $10 billion to $50 billion in under 2 years—and split the town in two
Big TechMeta
Meta’s AI data center cost went from $10 billion to $50 billion in under 2 years—and split the town in two
By Sydney LakeJuly 13, 2026
10 hours ago
b
CommentaryWorld Cup
Columbia Business School professors: What the Balogun red card can teach us about AI and judgment
By Oded Netzer, Christopher Frank and Paul MagnoneJuly 13, 2026
11 hours ago
‘We are driving in the fog’: Hundreds of economists admit they’re flying blind on AI
Economydisruption
‘We are driving in the fog’: Hundreds of economists admit they’re flying blind on AI
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 13, 2026
13 hours ago

Most Popular

The U.S. spent $30 billion to ditch textbooks for laptops and tablets: The result is the first generation less cognitively capable than their parents
Innovation
The U.S. spent $30 billion to ditch textbooks for laptops and tablets: The result is the first generation less cognitively capable than their parents
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 12, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of oil as of July 13, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of July 13, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 13, 2026
17 hours ago
Trump embraces Australian retirement system backed by Larry Fink
Personal Finance
Trump embraces Australian retirement system backed by Larry Fink
By Brianna Sosa and BloombergJuly 12, 2026
1 day ago
Peter Thiel and other tech billionaires are publicly shielding their children from the products that made them rich
Big Tech
Peter Thiel and other tech billionaires are publicly shielding their children from the products that made them rich
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJuly 12, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of silver as of Monday, July 13, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of silver as of Monday, July 13, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 13, 2026
17 hours ago
Ex-PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi worked from midnight until 5 a.m. as a receptionist to pay for her Yale degree—and she says ‘respect went up’ because of it
Success
Ex-PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi worked from midnight until 5 a.m. as a receptionist to pay for her Yale degree—and she says ‘respect went up’ because of it
By Preston ForeJuly 6, 2026
7 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.