CVE-2025-12941 identifies a denial of service vulnerability in NETGEAR C6220 and C6230 cable modem + WiFi routers, which implement DOCSIS 3.0 standards. The root cause is a missing authentication requirement (CWE-306) for a critical function: rebooting the router. This means that any user authenticated to the local WiFi network, even with limited privileges, can trigger a reboot of the device. The vulnerability does not require user interaction beyond authentication, and it does not affect confidentiality or integrity but impacts availability by causing service interruptions. The CVSS 4.0 vector indicates the attack is local (AV:A), requires low attack complexity (AC:L), needs privileges (PR:L), but no user interaction (UI:N). The impact on availability is high (VA:H), while confidentiality and integrity impacts are none. No known exploits have been reported in the wild, and no patches have been published as of the vulnerability disclosure date. This vulnerability could be exploited by malicious insiders or unauthorized users who gain local WiFi access, potentially causing network outages or service degradation. The lack of authentication on this critical function represents a design flaw that should be addressed by firmware updates. Until patches are available, mitigation relies on restricting local network access and monitoring device behavior.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a risk of denial of service through forced router reboots, leading to temporary loss of internet connectivity and disruption of business operations reliant on these devices. Organizations using NETGEAR C6220 or C6230 models in office or home environments could face intermittent outages if attackers gain local WiFi access. This is particularly impactful for small and medium enterprises or remote workers relying on these consumer-grade devices without advanced network segmentation. Critical services dependent on continuous connectivity, such as VoIP, cloud applications, or remote access VPNs, may be disrupted. While the vulnerability does not expose data or allow unauthorized configuration changes, the availability impact can degrade productivity and cause operational delays. The absence of known exploits reduces immediate risk, but the ease of exploitation by authenticated local users means insider threats or compromised WiFi credentials could be leveraged. European organizations with lax WiFi security or guest network isolation are at higher risk. The lack of a patch increases exposure duration, necessitating proactive mitigation.

1. Restrict WiFi access: Implement strong WiFi authentication (WPA3 or WPA2-Enterprise) to prevent unauthorized local access. 2. Network segmentation: Isolate critical devices and management interfaces on separate VLANs or subnets to limit access from general user networks. 3. Disable or restrict reboot functionality: If possible, configure device settings to require stronger authentication or disable remote/local reboot commands for non-administrative users. 4. Monitor device logs and uptime: Use network monitoring tools to detect unexpected reboots or service interruptions promptly. 5. Enforce strong password policies: Ensure router admin and WiFi passwords are complex and changed regularly to reduce risk of credential compromise. 6. Limit physical and wireless access: Control physical access to devices and disable guest WiFi or isolate guest networks to prevent lateral movement. 7. Stay updated: Monitor NETGEAR advisories and apply firmware updates immediately once patches addressing this vulnerability are released. 8. Consider device replacement: For high-risk environments, evaluate replacing affected models with devices that have stronger security controls and authentication mechanisms.