CVE-2019-7481 in SMA100
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in SonicWall SMA100 allow unauthenticated user to gain read-only access to unauthorized resources. This vulnerablity impacted SMA100 version 9.0.0.3 and earlier.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/06/2025
The SonicWall SMA100 series appliances represent a critical component in enterprise network security infrastructure, providing secure remote access and virtual private network capabilities for organizations worldwide. These devices operate as unified threat management appliances that handle authentication, encryption, and access control for remote users connecting to corporate networks. The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-7481 specifically targets the SMA100 model running firmware versions 9.0.0.3 and earlier, creating a significant security gap that could compromise the integrity of remote access systems. This flaw represents a serious oversight in the appliance's authentication mechanisms, potentially allowing malicious actors to bypass normal access controls and obtain unauthorized information from the system.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper access control implementation within the SMA100 appliance's web interface and API endpoints. Attackers can exploit this weakness to gain read-only access to unauthorized resources without requiring valid credentials or authentication. The flaw likely exists in how the system validates user permissions or processes requests to sensitive data sections. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-284, which describes improper access control issues where systems fail to properly enforce authorization mechanisms. The vulnerability's impact is particularly concerning because it affects the core authentication and authorization functions that protect sensitive network resources, potentially exposing configuration details, user information, and system metadata to unauthorized parties.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it creates potential entry points for more sophisticated attacks within the network infrastructure. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could gather intelligence about the network topology, user accounts, system configurations, and other sensitive data that could be used for further exploitation. The read-only nature of the access does not diminish the threat level, as this information could provide attackers with valuable insights for planning more targeted attacks. The vulnerability affects organizations that rely on the SMA100 for remote access management, potentially compromising the security of their entire remote workforce access infrastructure. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1087.001 (Account Discovery) and T1069.001 (Security Software Discovery), as attackers could use the access to enumerate system accounts and security configurations.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement mitigation strategies to protect their network infrastructure. The primary recommendation involves upgrading to firmware versions that address this access control flaw, specifically versions newer than 9.0.0.3. System administrators should also review and tighten access controls on the appliance's web interface, implementing additional authentication layers where possible. Network segmentation and monitoring should be enhanced to detect unauthorized access attempts to the SMA100 appliance. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security firmware and conducting regular security assessments of network infrastructure components. Organizations should also implement network access controls that limit direct access to these appliances from untrusted networks, reducing the attack surface for such authentication bypass vulnerabilities. Security teams should monitor for suspicious access patterns and implement automated alerts for unauthorized access attempts to critical infrastructure components.