CyberSecBulletin
CVE-2025-40604NVD status: Analyzed

Email Security: Download of Code Without Integrity Check

CVE-2025-40604 is a critical-severity download of code without integrity check vulnerability in Email Security from SonicWall, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.8 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an unauthenticated attacker, without any action from a user. Affected Email Security versions: 10.0.33.8195 and earlier versions. The record does not name a fixed version, so check the vendor advisory. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.21% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.

Patch this week

Critical severity: a successful attack would have severe impact.

What to do

  1. Check which version of Email Security you run against the affected versions below, and install the vendor's latest release.
  2. Read the advisory on psirt.global.sonicwall.com for workarounds and exact fixed builds.
  3. Until you can update, restrict network access to the affected service so it is not reachable from untrusted networks.

Affected products and versions

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed in
SonicWallEmail Security10.0.33.8195 and earlier versionsNot stated
SonicWallEmail Security Appliance 5000 Firmware10.0.33.8195 and earlierNot stated
SonicWallEmail Security Appliance 5050 Firmware10.0.33.8195 and earlierNot stated
SonicWallEmail Security Appliance 7000 Firmware10.0.33.8195 and earlierNot stated
SonicWallEmail Security Appliance 7050 Firmware10.0.33.8195 and earlierNot stated
SonicWallEmail Security Appliance 9000 Firmware10.0.33.8195 and earlierNot stated

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
LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
Privileges required
NoneNo account or login is needed.
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:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by NVD.

Scoring systemScoreSeverityScored by
CVSS 3.19.8CriticalNVD
CVSS 3.16.5MediumCISA (ADP)

Official description

Download of Code Without Integrity Check Vulnerability in the SonicWall Email Security appliance loads root filesystem images without verifying signatures, allowing attackers with VMDK or datastore access to modify system files and gain persistent arbitrary code execution.

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

The underlying weakness: Download of Code Without Integrity Check

The product downloads source code or an executable from a remote location and executes the code without sufficiently verifying the origin and integrity of the code.

How developers prevent this class of flaw

  • Perform proper forward and reverse DNS lookups to detect DNS spoofing.
  • Encrypt the code with a reliable encryption scheme before transmitting.
  • 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.

More Download of Code Without Integrity Check vulnerabilities (CWE-494)

Timeline

  1. CVE record published.
  2. CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: no, technical impact: total).
  3. Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).

References

Other vulnerabilities in Email Security

All Email Security vulnerabilities

Recent Download of Code Without Integrity Check vulnerabilities

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