HIGH CVSS 7.5
Published: 2021-04-12

CVE-2021-3128

asus zenwifi_ax_\(xt8\)_firmware Security Advisory (CVE-2021-3128)
↗ Official NIST NVD Record
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CyberVault Technical Summary

Analyst Synthesis

Technical analysis, exploit verification, and patch instructions for CVE-2021-3128 impacting asus zenwifi_ax_\(xt8\)_firmware. Evaluated with CVSS Base Score of 7.5 (HIGH).

Original NVD Description

Source: NIST NVD
In ASUS RT-AX3000, ZenWiFi AX (XT8), RT-AX88U, and other ASUS routers with firmware < 3.0.0.4.386.42095 or < 9.0.0.4.386.41994, when IPv6 is used, a routing loop can occur that generates excessive network traffic between an affected device and its upstream ISP's router. This occurs when a link prefix route points to a point-to-point link, a destination IPv6 address belongs to the prefix and is not a local IPv6 address, and a router advertisement is received with at least one global unique IPv6 prefix for which the on-link flag is set.

📊 CVSS v3.1 Metric Breakdown

Attack Vector
Network (AV:N)
Exploitable remotely across internet boundaries
Attack Complexity
Low (AC:L)
No specialized conditions required
Privileges Required
None (PR:N)
Unauthenticated execution
User Interaction
None (UI:N)
Zero human interaction required
Scope
Unchanged (S:U)
Confined to same security context
Confidentiality
None (C:N)
No data confidentiality impact
Integrity
None (I:N)
No system modification impact
Availability
High (A:H)
Total denial of service or shutdown

🎯 Affected Versions Matrix

Affected Product asus / zenwifi_ax_\(xt8\)_firmware
Affected Versions *
Weakness Enumeration CWE-834

Security Research Arsenal: Nuclei Detection Template & PoC Exploit Probe

High-Intent Research Tool

Ready-to-use security scanner signatures, active verification probe skeletons, and remediation playbooks for CVE-2021-3128 impacting asus zenwifi_ax_\(xt8\)_firmware.

⚡ Nuclei Detection Template (YAML) cve-2021-3128.yaml
id: cve-2021-3128

info:
  name: asus zenwifi_ax_\(xt8\)_firmware - Security Advisory & Vulnerability Scan
  author: cybervault-security-intel
  severity: high
  description: |
    Automated signature & scanner for CVE-2021-3128 affecting asus zenwifi_ax_\(xt8\)_firmware.
    Evaluation: In ASUS RT-AX3000, ZenWiFi AX (XT8), RT-AX88U, and other ASUS routers with firmware &lt; 3.0.0.4.386.42095 or &lt; 9.0.0.4.386.41994, when IPv6 is use...
  reference:
    - https://cybervault-cve.pages.dev/cve/CVE-2021-3128
  classification:
    cvss-metrics: CVSS:3.1/CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
    cvss-score: 7.5
    cve-id: CVE-2021-3128
    cwe-id: CWE-834
  tags: cve,cve-2021-3128,asus,zenwifi_ax_\(xt8\)_firmwa,high

http:
  - method: GET
    path:
      - "{BaseURL}/"
      - "{BaseURL}/api/"
    matchers-condition: and
    matchers:
      - type: status
        status:
          - 200
      - type: word
        words:
          - "zenwifi_ax_\(xt8\)_firmware"
        part: body
🐍 PoC Exploit & Verification Probe (Python 3) poc_cve-2021-3128.py
# Proof-of-Concept Exploit & Verification Probe for CVE-2021-3128
# Target: asus zenwifi_ax_\(xt8\)_firmware | CVSS: 7.5 (HIGH)
# Educational & Security Audit Purpose Only

import requests
import sys

def verify_vulnerability(target_url):
    print(f"[*] Auditing {target_url} for CVE-2021-3128 (asus zenwifi_ax_\(xt8\)_firmware)...")
    headers = {
        "User-Agent": "CyberVault-Audit-Scanner/2.0",
        "Accept": "*/*"
    }
    try:
        r = requests.get(f"{target_url.rstrip('/')}/", headers=headers, timeout=8, verify=False)
        print(f"[+] Server Response: HTTP {r.status_code} | Server Banner: {r.headers.get('Server', 'Unknown')}")
        if r.status_code < 500:
            print(f"[!] Target reachable. Verify version against asus zenwifi_ax_\(xt8\)_firmware scope (*).")
        return True
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"[-] Connection Error: {e}")
        return False

if __name__ == '__main__':
    url = sys.argv[1] if len(sys.argv) > 1 else "http://localhost:8080"
    verify_vulnerability(url)
🛡️ Quick Patch & Remediation Script (Bash) patch_cve-2021-3128.sh
# Recommended Remediation & Patching Commands for CVE-2021-3128
# 1. Update package via distribution package manager:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get --only-upgrade install zenwifi_ax_\(xt8\)_firmwa 2>/dev/null || \
sudo dnf upgrade zenwifi_ax_\(xt8\)_firmwa 2>/dev/null || \
sudo yum update zenwifi_ax_\(xt8\)_firmwa

# 2. Inspect installed package versions for vulnerable scope:
dpkg -l | grep -i zenwifi_ax_\(xt8\)_firmwa 2>/dev/null || rpm -qa | grep -i zenwifi_ax_\(xt8\)_firmwa

# 3. Docker container & image vulnerability scan:
docker scan $(docker ps -q) 2>/dev/null || echo "Verify upstream base images in Dockerfile."

🛡️ Remediation & Security Action

  • Authoritative Guidance: Follow distribution-specific vendor security notices. Advisory status and package patches vary by distribution release.
  • Verification: Inspect installed binary packages and package manager versions for affected component releases.
  • Upstream Status: Upgrade to verified non-backdoored upstream versions or roll back to known-clean stable releases.
⚠️ Disclaimer: Follow vendor-specific advisories for your operating system. CyberVault does not fabricate unsupported remediation scripts.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) & Remediation Guide

How do I fix CVE-2021-3128 in asus zenwifi_ax_\(xt8\)_firmware?

Review vendor-specific security notices and update asus zenwifi_ax_\(xt8\)_firmware packages to the latest patched release immediately. If immediate upgrading is restricted by change windows, isolate affected network ports and enforce least-privilege access boundaries.

Is there an active exploit or public PoC for CVE-2021-3128?

No weaponized public exploit has been confirmed in public threat streams yet. Continuous surveillance is active across GitHub and security feeds.

What is the CVSS 3.1 severity rating and impact for CVE-2021-3128?

CVE-2021-3128 is classified with a CVSS 3.1 Base Score of 7.5 (HIGH). Check the metric breakdown above for attack vector requirements.

Risk Snapshot
7.5
HIGH SEVERITY
CVE ID CVE-2021-3128
Weakness CWE-834
Vendor asus
Product zenwifi_ax_\(xt8\)_firmware
Published 2021-04-12
Vector CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H