CyberSecBulletin
CVE-2025-40602Exploited in the wildNVD status: Analyzed

SonicWall SMA1000 Missing Authorization

Published Updated By the CyberSecBulletin desk

CVE-2025-40602 is a medium-severity execution with unnecessary privileges vulnerability in SMA1000 from SonicWall, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 6.6 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an attacker with administrator privileges, without any action from a user. Affected SMA1000 versions: 12.4.3-03093 (platform-hotfix) and earlier versions; 12.5.0-02002 (platform-hotfix) and earlier versions. The record does not name a fixed version, so check the vendor advisory. CISA added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue on December 17, 2025, which means attacks have been observed in the wild.

Patch now

Attackers are already exploiting this vulnerability, according to CISA.

What to do

  1. Update Sma6200 Firmware to 12.4.3-03245 or 12.5.0-02283, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
  2. Update Sma6210 Firmware to 12.4.3-03245 or 12.5.0-02283, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
  3. Update Sma7200 Firmware to 12.4.3-03245 or 12.5.0-02283, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
  4. CISA's required action: Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable
  5. Read the advisory on psirt.global.sonicwall.com for workarounds and exact fixed builds.

Affected products and versions

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed in
SonicWallSMA100012.4.3-03093 (platform-hotfix) and earlier versions; 12.5.0-02002 (platform-hotfix) and earlier versionsNot stated
SonicWallSma6200 Firmwarebefore 12.4.3-03245; 12.5.0 up to, but not including, 12.5.0-0228312.4.3-03245, 12.5.0-02283
SonicWallSma6210 Firmwarebefore 12.4.3-03245; 12.5.0 up to, but not including, 12.5.0-0228312.4.3-03245, 12.5.0-02283
SonicWallSma7200 Firmwarebefore 12.4.3-03245; 12.5.0 up to, but not including, 12.5.0-0228312.4.3-03245, 12.5.0-02283
SonicWallSma7210 Firmwarebefore 12.4.3-03245; 12.5.0 up to, but not including, 12.5.0-0228312.4.3-03245, 12.5.0-02283
SonicWallSma8200vbefore 12.4.3-03245; 12.5.0 up to, but not including, 12.5.0-0228312.4.3-03245, 12.5.0-02283

Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.

How the severity score breaks down

Attack vector
NetworkCan be exploited remotely over a network, including the internet.
Attack complexity
HighSuccess depends on conditions outside the attacker's control.
Privileges required
HighAdministrator-level access is required first.
User interaction
NoneNo action by a victim is required.
Scope
UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
Confidentiality
HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
Integrity
HighData or code can be modified at will.
Availability
HighThe component can be taken down completely.

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by CISA (ADP).

Official description

A local privilege escalation vulnerability due to insufficient authorization in the SonicWall SMA1000 appliance management console (AMC).

Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.

The underlying weakness: Execution with Unnecessary Privileges

The product performs an operation at a privilege level that is higher than the minimum level required, which creates new weaknesses or amplifies the consequences of other weaknesses.

How developers prevent this class of flaw

  • Run your code using the lowest privileges that are required to accomplish the necessary tasks. If possible, create isolated accounts with limited privileges that are only used for a single task. That way, a successful attack will not immediately give the attacker access to the rest of the software or its environment. For example, database applications rarely need to run as the database administrator, especially in day-to-day operations.
  • Identify the functionality that requires additional privileges, such as access to privileged operating system resources. Wrap and centralize this functionality if possible, and isolate the privileged code as much as possible from other code. Raise privileges as late as possible, and drop them as soon as possible to avoid CWE-271. Avoid weaknesses such as CWE-288 and CWE-420 by protecting all possible communication channels that could interact with the privileged code, such as a secondary socket that is only intended to be accessed by administrators.
  • Identify the functionality that requires additional privileges, such as access to privileged operating system resources. Wrap and centralize this functionality if possible, and isolate the privileged code as much as possible from other code. Raise privileges as late as possible, and drop them as soon as possible to avoid CWE-271. Avoid weaknesses such as CWE-288 and CWE-420 by protecting all possible communication channels that could interact with the privileged code, such as a secondary socket that is only intended to be accessed by administrators.

More Execution with Unnecessary Privileges vulnerabilities (CWE-250)

Timeline

  1. Added to CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue.
  2. CVE record published.
  3. CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: active, automatable: no, technical impact: total).
  4. Deadline for US federal agencies to remediate, set by CISA.
  5. Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).

References

Third-party and government advisories

Other vulnerabilities in SMA1000

All SMA1000 vulnerabilities

Recent Execution with Unnecessary Privileges vulnerabilities

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