CVE-2024-50996 is a stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability identified in several Netgear router models: R8500 v1.0.2.160, XR300 v1.0.3.78, R7000P v1.3.3.154, and R6400 v2 1.0.4.128. The vulnerability resides in the genie_bpa.cgi component, specifically through the bpa_server parameter. An attacker with low privileges and network access can send a specially crafted POST request to this CGI endpoint, causing a stack overflow that leads to a denial of service (DoS) condition by crashing or rebooting the device. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-120 (Classic Buffer Overflow). According to the CVSS v3.1 score of 5.7, the attack vector is adjacent network (AV:A), with low attack complexity (AC:L), requiring privileges (PR:L), no user interaction (UI:N), and impacts availability only (A:H) without affecting confidentiality or integrity. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no official patches have been released yet. The flaw could be leveraged by attackers to disrupt network connectivity and availability of affected routers, impacting both home and enterprise environments that use these models.

The primary impact of CVE-2024-50996 is denial of service, which can disrupt network availability by crashing or rebooting affected Netgear routers. This can interrupt internet connectivity, internal network communications, and dependent services, potentially causing operational downtime. While confidentiality and integrity are not directly compromised, the loss of availability can affect business continuity, especially for small and medium enterprises or home offices relying on these devices for critical network functions. The requirement for low privileges and adjacent network access limits remote exploitation but still poses a risk within local networks or compromised segments. The absence of known exploits reduces immediate risk, but the vulnerability could be targeted in future attacks once exploit code becomes available. Organizations using these routers should be aware of potential service interruptions and prepare accordingly.

1. Restrict access to router management interfaces to trusted networks only, ideally via VLAN segmentation or firewall rules limiting access to the genie_bpa.cgi endpoint. 2. Disable remote management features if not required to reduce exposure. 3. Monitor network traffic for unusual or malformed POST requests targeting the bpa_server parameter or genie_bpa.cgi endpoint. 4. Implement network segmentation to isolate critical devices from general user networks to limit attack surface. 5. Regularly check Netgear’s official security advisories and apply firmware updates or patches promptly once released. 6. Consider deploying intrusion detection/prevention systems (IDS/IPS) with signatures for this vulnerability when available. 7. Educate network administrators about this vulnerability and encourage prompt incident response if signs of exploitation appear. 8. For critical environments, consider temporary replacement or additional redundancy until patches are available.