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SSH Access for Netgear's Nighthawk M5 Mobile LTE/Router

SSH Logo

In my previous post, I demonstrated how to gain root access by enabling a Telnet daemon via the routers AT-over-TCP interface. In this post I will close this gasping security hole by replacing the Telnet with a Secure Shell (SSH) daemon. Netgear’s firmware does not ship with a SSH daemon itself. So we first build a statically linked Dropbear instead of the rather heavy OpenSSH daemon.

Having a detailed look at the Netgear Nighthawk M5 Mobile LTE/Router

Dr. Watson

After gaining root access to the device in the first post of this series, we will have a closer look at the device and its firmware.

This post is documenting some internals of the device which is not the most exciting stuff to read. I mainly collected it here for documentation purposes.

All information in this post has been collected from a device running firmware version NTGX55_12.04.12.00.

A 3D-printed wall mount for Netgear Nighthawk mobile 5G/LTE routers

I have recently designed and printed a wall mount for Netgear’s Nighthawk mobile 5G/LTE routers. More specifically a Nighthawk M5 (MR5200).

I have been inspired by an existing commercial wall mount for the Nighthawk M-series routers by FTS Hennig GmbH:

My inspiration: the wall-mount and antenna adapter from FTS Hennig
My inspiration: the wall-mount and antenna adapter from FTS Hennig.

Unfortunately, the mount is with a price tag of around 50 € rather expensive. So I decided to use our new lab 3D-printer and try do design it myself usings AutoDesk’s Fusion 360 software.

My own 3D printed holder is released under a creative commons license at Codeberg: /stv0g/3d-printing/netgear-m5-wall-mount

Gaining Root Access on Netgear Nighthawk Mobile 5G/LTE Routers

This blog posts covers the required steps to gain root access via Telnet on Netgear Nighthawk Mobile 5G/LTE Routers. Its the first post in a small series covering my experiences playing around with this device.

Last month I obtained one of Netgear’s latest mobile 5G routers, the Netgear Nighthawk M5 (model MR5200-100EUS) . Being one of the most expensive consumer 5G routers, I was lucky to get a fairly good second hand deal from eBay.

Netgear Nighthawk M5 mobile 5G/LTE Router
Netgear Nighthawk M5 mobile 5G/LTE Router.

Open-Data Lab Aachen

Aachener Rathaus
Aachener Rathaus.
Logo des Open Data Lab Aachen
Logo des Open Data Lab Aachen.

Im September letzten Jahres hat sich in Aachen das Open Data Lab mit einer virtuellen Kick-off Veranstaltung gegründet.

Im Open Data Lab wollen wir ehrenamtlich Projekte rund um Offene Daten in Aachen voranbringen. Wir suchen dazu Personen, die daran generell interessiert sind, ob Entwickler*innen, Designer*innen, Datenjournalist*innen aus Verwaltung, Politik und Gesellschaft.

Wir wollen Daten und Ideen zusammenbringen und daraus Projekte generieren.