CVE-2021-20023: SonicWall Email Security Path Traversal Vulnerability

CVE-2021-20023 · Severity: critical · CVSS 4.9 · Exploited in the wild · Published 2021-11-03

SonicWall Email Security contains a path traversal vulnerability (CWE-22) that allows a post-authenticated attacker to read arbitrary files on the remote host. This vulnerability has been observed in the wild as part of an exploit chain to achieve privilege escalation.

Technologies: Sonicwall Email Security. Vendors: SonicWall.

Quick answers

Is CVE-2021-20023 exploited in the wild?
Yes. CVE-2021-20023 is known to be exploited in the wild, first recorded on 3 November 2021. Treat it as urgent.
How severe is CVE-2021-20023?
Critical severity, with a CVSS score of 4.9, published 3 November 2021.
Which products and versions are affected?
SonicWall Email Security up to (excluding) 10.0.9.6173; SonicWall Hosted Email Security up to (excluding) 10.0.9.6173; SonicWall Email Security Virtual Appliance up to (excluding) 10.0.9.6177; SonicWall Email Security Appliance 3300/4300/5000/5050/7000/7050/8300/9000 Firmware up to (excluding) 10.0.9.6177.
Is there a fix for CVE-2021-20023?
No fixed version is recorded yet. Check the vendor's advisory in the references below. If you run it, Junglewise drafts a mitigation that fits your setup and applies it once you approve, with senior security engineers behind it.
How is CVE-2021-20023 attacked?
It is attacked over the network, in a network appliance.
Am I affected by CVE-2021-20023?
Check whether you run Sonicwall Email Security. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

Affected products

  • SonicWall Email Security up to (excluding) 10.0.9.6173
  • SonicWall Hosted Email Security up to (excluding) 10.0.9.6173
  • SonicWall Email Security Virtual Appliance up to (excluding) 10.0.9.6177
  • SonicWall Email Security Appliance 3300/4300/5000/5050/7000/7050/8300/9000 Firmware up to (excluding) 10.0.9.6177

Timeline

  • 2021-04-23: disclosed: Initial NIST analysis and disclosure
  • 2021-11-03: kev added: Added to CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog
  • 2021-11-03: advisory: Publication date of the advisory summary

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