CVE-2021-20022
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedSonicWall Email Security version 10.0.9.x contains a vulnerability that allows a post-authenticated attacker to upload an arbitrary file to the remote host.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · moderate confidenceA post-authenticated arbitrary file upload vulnerability exists in SonicWall Email Security version 10.0.9.x. An authenticated attacker can exploit this to upload arbitrary files to the remote host, potentially achieving remote code execution by uploading malicious web shells or other payloads.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data< 10.0.9.6103< 10.0.9.6105< 10.0.9.6105< 10.0.9.6105< 10.0.9.6105< 10.0.9.6105< 10.0.9.6105< 10.0.9.6105CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- High
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify installed SonicWall Email Security versionLog into the admin console and navigate to System > About or Settings > License to view the exact software version numberAffected if version is below 10.0.9.6103 for the software version
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Check appliance firmware versionAccess the appliance console or admin interface and locate the firmware version under System Information or Device StatusAffected if firmware version is below 10.0.9.6105 for any of the listed appliance models (9000, 3300, 4300, 8300, 5000, 7000, 5050)
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Verify admin interface exposureDetermine if the SonicWall admin web interface (typically ports 443 or 4433) is accessible from untrusted network segments or the internetAffected if the admin interface is exposed to networks outside the trusted internal environment
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Review admin account securityAudit admin user accounts in the SonicWall console under Users > Admin Users or Account Settings to verify credential strength and access necessityAffected if weak passwords, default credentials, or unnecessary admin accounts exist on the system
The environment is affected if the installed SonicWall Email Security version is below 10.0.9.6103 (software) or the appliance firmware is below 10.0.9.6105, AND the admin interface is accessible to an attacker who could obtain valid credentials.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
dbcve · scoped10.0.9.610310.0.9.6105
Apply the vendor-provided patch or upgrade to a patched version of SonicWall Email Security. Additionally, restrict administrative access to trusted IP addresses and monitor for unauthorized file uploads.
SonicWall Email Security version 10.0.9.6103 or later (or Appliance Firmware 10.0.9.6105 or later)
- 1. Log into the SonicWall Email Security admin console and navigate to System > Status to confirm the current installed version
- 2. If version is below 10.0.9.6103 (Email Security) or 10.0.9.6105 (Appliance Firmware), initiate upgrade process
- 3. Back up the current configuration from System > Backup/Restore before proceeding with the upgrade
- 4. Download the appropriate fixed firmware version (10.0.9.6103 or later for Email Security; 10.0.9.6105 or later for Appliance models) from the official SonicWall support portal at support.sonicwall.com
- 5. Apply the firmware update via System > Firmware Update or the appropriate upgrade mechanism for your appliance model
- 6. After reboot, verify the new version is installed by checking System > Status
- 7. Validate that the unrestricted file upload vulnerability is remediated by confirming file upload restrictions are enforced as expected
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,800.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-20022 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2021-20022 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data