CVE-2024-53705 in SonicOS
Summary
by MITRE • 01/09/2025
A Server-Side Request Forgery vulnerability in the SonicOS SSH management interface allows a remote attacker to establish a TCP connection to an IP address on any port when the user is logged in to the firewall.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/09/2026
This server-side request forgery vulnerability exists within the SonicOS SSH management interface, representing a critical security flaw that enables remote attackers to perform unauthorized network communications. The vulnerability specifically manifests when authenticated users maintain active sessions with the firewall's SSH management interface, creating a persistent attack vector that can be exploited without requiring additional authentication credentials. The flaw allows adversaries to establish TCP connections to arbitrary IP addresses and ports, effectively bypassing the firewall's intended network security controls and potentially enabling lateral movement within the network infrastructure.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization within the SSH management interface components that handle network communication requests. When legitimate users authenticate and interact with the firewall's management functions, the system fails to properly validate external host addresses and port specifications passed through various management protocols. This inadequate validation creates an environment where attacker-controlled data can be interpreted as valid network destination parameters, leading to unauthorized TCP connection establishment. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and leverages the trust relationship between authenticated users and the firewall management interface to execute malicious network requests.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted, potentially allowing attackers to perform reconnaissance activities such as port scanning of internal network segments that would normally be protected by the firewall's own security policies. Attackers could leverage this capability to map network topology, identify vulnerable services, or establish connections to external command and control servers, effectively using the firewall itself as a proxy for malicious network communications. The vulnerability undermines the fundamental security principle of the firewall as a trusted network boundary device, enabling attackers to circumvent the very protections the device is designed to provide.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including disabling unused management interfaces, implementing strict network segmentation controls between management and production networks, and applying the latest firmware updates from SonicWall that address this specific vulnerability. Network monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual TCP connection patterns originating from firewall management sessions, while access controls should be strictly enforced through multi-factor authentication and role-based permissions. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-918, which addresses server-side request forgery in web applications, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1071.004 for application layer protocol usage, particularly focusing on secure shell protocols. Regular security assessments should include verification of management interface configurations to ensure that no unnecessary network access is granted to authenticated users beyond their operational requirements.