CVE-2023-44221
Published: May 1, 2025
Official Description
SonicWall SMA100 appliances contain an OS command injection vulnerability in the SSL-VPN management interface that allows a remote, authenticated attacker with administrative privilege to inject arbitrary commands as a 'nobody' user.
CISA KEV Advisory
SonicWall SMA100 Appliances OS Command Injection Vulnerability
SonicWall SMA100 appliances contain an OS command injection vulnerability in the SSL-VPN management interface that allows a remote, authenticated attacker with administrative privilege to inject arbitrary commands as a 'nobody' user.
Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.
Risk Analysis
This vulnerability in SonicWall SMA100 appliances allows a remote, authenticated administrator to inject arbitrary commands as a 'nobody' user through the SSL-VPN management interface. The high EPSS score indicates a significant likelihood of exploitation, and its presence in the KEV catalog confirms it has been actively exploited, making it an urgent concern.
Active exploitation of this vulnerability has been observed in the wild. While it requires authentication, the remote nature of the SSL-VPN management interface means it is remotely exploitable.
Apply the latest security updates for SonicWall SMA100 appliances. Restrict access to the SSL-VPN management interface to trusted networks and users only.
Technical Analysis
CVE-2023-44221 requires local access, meaning attackers must already have a foothold on the target system.
Exploitation requires some privileges, which limits the exposure to scenarios where an attacker has already gained initial access.
CISA has added CVE-2023-44221 to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, confirming active exploitation in the wild. U.S. federal agencies are required to patch this within the mandated timeframe, and all organizations should treat remediation as urgent.
Exploit & PoC Resources
All References (2)
Quick Facts
Recommended Actions
- →Apply vendor patches immediately
- →Monitor CVE-2023-44221 in threat intel feeds
- →Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts
- !CISA KEV: Federal agencies must patch per BOD 22-01 timeline
- !Active exploitation confirmed — treat as P1