CVE-2023-39278Network attack vector

Authenticated firewall crash via main.cgi stack overflow

Published Oct 17, 2023 · Updated Sep 13, 2024

Stack-based buffer overflow in SonicWall SonicOS Management and SSLVPN allows remote authenticated users to crash the firewall via main.cgi. SonicWall identifies a user-assertion failure in main.cgi that produces the overflow but does not disclose the affected assertion or unsafe copy operation. Low-privileged network access to the management or SSLVPN component is required, and the documented consequence is a firewall crash.

CVSS severity6.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.80%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Stack-based buffer overflow in SonicWall SonicOS Management and SSLVPN allows remote authenticated users to crash the firewall via main.cgi. SonicWall identifies a user-assertion failure in main.cgi that produces the overflow but does not disclose the affected assertion or unsafe copy operation. Low-privileged network access to the management or SSLVPN component is required, and the documented consequence is a firewall crash.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-39278
Published
Oct 17, 2023
Updated
Sep 13, 2024
Vendor
SonicWall
Product
SonicOS
Classifications
CWE-121, CWE-787, T1499.004
Attack vector
network
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Oct 17, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Sep 13, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=6.5.4.12-101n and earlier versions
  2. Affected versionversion=6.5.4.4-44v-21-2079 and earlier versions
  3. Affected versionversion=7.0.1-5119 and earlier versions
  4. Affected versionversion=7.0.1-5129 and earlier versions

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

SonicWall · SonicOSversion=6.5.4.12-101n and earlier versions; version=6.5.4.4-44v-21-2079 and earlier versions; version=7.0.1-5119 and earlier versions; version=7.0.1-5129 and earlier versions

Published CVSS scores

6.5NISTCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-121Stack-based Buffer Overflow
CWE-787Out-of-bounds Write
T1499.004Endpoint Denial of Service: Application or System Exploitation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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