CVE-2021-20038KEV · OVERDUECWE-121

SonicWall SMA 100 Appliances Stack-Based Buffer Overflow Vulnerability

Critical · published December 8, 2021

Patch now

Confirmed exploited, and the score agrees

CVSS calls it critical at 9.8. It is confirmed in active exploitation. It sits in the 100.0th percentile for exploit probability.

1716
days past CISA
deadline
CVSS v3.1
9.8
EPSS
100%
Percentile
100.0
In the wild
Confirmed
What it is

🚨 A stack-based buffer overflow in the SMA100 Apache httpd server could let attackers execute code as a 'nobody' user! 😱 Think of it like a restaurant where a waiter can access the kitchen without a key. If they can sneak in, they can tamper with the ingredients, ruining the meal. Here, an attacker can manipulate the environment variables to run harmful code without needing to authenticate. An attacker could potentially execute arbitrary code, leading to unauthorized access and control over the appliance as a low-privileged user. This could open the door to stealing sensitive information or launching further attacks on your network. The consequences could be absolutely devastating if not addressed! 🔥

Put simply

Think of it like a restaurant where a waiter can access the kitchen without a key. If they can sneak in, they can tamper with the ingredients, ruining the meal. Here, an attacker can manipulate the environment variables to run harmful code without needing to authenticate. This vulnerability arises from insufficient validation of environment variables in the mod_cgi module of the Apache httpd server, allowing a remote unauthenticated attacker to trigger a buffer overflow and execute code.

What to do

An attacker could potentially execute arbitrary code, leading to unauthorized access and control over the appliance as a low-privileged user. This could open the door to stealing sensitive information or launching further attacks on your network. The consequences could be absolutely devastating if not addressed! 🔥 Update the firmware of your SMA appliances to version 10.2.1.3 or later immediately. Ensure that all affected versions are patched, and review your security policies to limit exposure. Regular updates and monitoring are key to maintaining security! 🛡️ You've got this! Following these steps will help you clamp down on this vulnerability and keep your systems safe! 💪✨

The record
Technical detail
CVSS v3.1
9.8 · CRITICAL
Vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CVSS v4.0
Not supplied
EPSS
0.99912 · 100.0th percentile
Weakness
CWE-121 · Stack-based Buffer Overflow
Published
2021-12-08T09:55Z
KEV added
2022-01-28 · due 2022-02-11
EPSS history
Timeline
  • 28 JAN 00:00Z
    Added to CISA KEV — remediate by Feb 11
    kev
  • 08 DEC 09:55Z
    A Stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability in SMA100 Apache httpd server's mod_cgi module environment variables allows a remote unauthenticated attacker to…
    cvelistv5