Netgear has issued an urgent security update for six of its popular WiFi home gateways, including three Nighthawk Pro gaming routers, after researchers uncovered severe Remote Code Execution (RCE) vulnerabilities. These flaws, which allow attackers to run arbitrary code on the devices without authentication, have been patched—but users must manually update their firmware to stay protected.
The vulnerabilities have been rated 9.8 on the CVSS severity scale, meaning they’re about as critical as security exploits can get. If left unpatched, these flaws give hackers free rein over your router, letting them execute unsigned code remotely. This could mean anything from hijacking your network traffic to enlisting your router in a botnet for large-scale cyberattacks. Since Netgear’s affected routers and gateways won’t update on their own, it’s absolutely essential for users to install the latest firmware as soon as possible.
Netgear has provided security patches for all impacted models, and users can find the necessary downloads on Netgear’s support page. If you own one of these routers, you should check your firmware version immediately and apply the update without delay. Given how easily these exploits can be leveraged by attackers, waiting too long could leave your home network dangerously exposed.