Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessAttain MITM or tarball-delivery-path control
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DeliveryCraft malicious tarball with path-traversal archive entries
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ExploitUser triggers NetExtender OPSWAT tarball extraction
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ExecutionPath traversal escapes intended extraction directory
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PersistWrite arbitrary file with root ownership
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ImpactEstablish persistence or escalate privileges
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A01:2025 - Broken Access Control
ASVS 5.0
V5 - File Handling Path traversal prevention
|
| Exploitation Conditions | Exploitation requires the target system to run SonicWall NetExtender Linux client version 10.3.5 or earlier, and the OPSWAT tarball processing code path must be triggered - this occurs when a user initiates a VPN connection or compliance check that causes the client to fetch and extract a tarball. User interaction is required (CVSS UI:R); fully passive background exploitation without any user-initiated action is not indicated. The attacker must control or intercept the tarball delivered to the client, requiring either a network MITM position, a compromised delivery endpoint, or redirection of the client to a malicious server. This vulnerability is Linux-platform specific. Limiting factors: non-Linux NetExtender clients are not affected, the attack is not automatable per SSVC, and delivery of the malicious payload requires specific network positioning. |
| Impact | The vendor-provided CVSS 8.8 (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H) reflects high impact across all three dimensions and a network-accessible attack vector with low complexity - consistent with the severity of arbitrary root-level file write. However, several signals moderate the real-world urgency: EPSS at 0.20% (9th percentile) indicates current low exploitation probability; SSVC marks exploitation as 'none' and automatable as 'no'; and no KEV listing or public POC exists at time of analysis. The UI:R constraint means fully passive, automated exploitation is not feasible - an attacker must induce the user to trigger OPSWAT tarball extraction, which limits opportunistic mass exploitation. The AC:L assignment in the vendor vector may be optimistic, as delivering a malicious tarball plausibly requires a MITM position or control of the tarball delivery endpoint. For organizations actively running NetExtender on Linux endpoints, the root-write impact warrants prioritized patching regardless of low current exploitation signals - the total technical impact classification from SSVC underscores this. Organizations without Linux NetExtender deployments are unaffected. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An attacker positioned to intercept or substitute the OPSWAT tarball fetched by the NetExtender Linux client - via a MITM on an unprotected network or by compromising the tarball delivery endpoint - serves a crafted archive containing entries with path-traversal sequences. When the targeted user initiates a VPN connection or compliance check that triggers OPSWAT tarball extraction, the malicious paths write attacker-controlled content (such as a root crontab or SSH authorized_keys entry) to arbitrary locations as root. No public proof-of-concept code has been identified at time of analysis. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Aug 26, 2026
Arbitrary root file write in SonicWall NetExtender Linux client (versions 10.3.5 and earlier) is achievable by an unauthenticated remote attacker who delivers a malicious OPSWAT tarball containing path-traversal sequences, exploiting CWE-29 to escape the intended extraction directory and overwrite system files as root. Exploitation requires user interaction (CVSS UI:R) to trigger tarball processing, and no public exploit code or CISA KEV listing has been identified at time of analysis. EPSS stands at 0.20% (9th percentile), consistent with the SSVC assessment of exploitation status 'none' and automatable 'no', though the technical impact is rated total.
RemediationAI
Upgrade SonicWall NetExtender Linux client to a version later than 10.3.5 by consulting the vendor advisory at https://psirt.global.sonicwall.com/vuln-detail/SNWLID-2026-0013; the exact patched release number is not independently confirmed in available data and must be verified directly with SonicWall PSIRT. If immediate patching is not possible, restrict network access between NetExtender Linux clients and untrusted tarball delivery endpoints via host-based or perimeter firewall rules, preventing delivery of a malicious tarball to the OPSWAT component - note this may disrupt compliance-checking functionality dependent on OPSWAT. Additionally, deploy file integrity monitoring (FIM) on Linux endpoints running NetExtender to detect unauthorized root-owned writes to sensitive directories such as /etc, /root, and /usr; FIM is a detection control only and does not prevent exploitation.
Affected VersionsENISA
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Technical ContextAI · show details
The vulnerability resides in the OPSWAT tarball processing component of the SonicWall NetExtender Linux VPN client. CWE-29 ('Path Traversal: ..\filename') identifies the root cause as insufficient sanitization of archive entry paths - a class commonly called 'zip slip.' When the client extracts a tarball, maliciously crafted path entries (e.g., ../../etc/cron.d/evil) can direct file writes outside the intended extraction directory. Because the NetExtender client operates with root privileges on Linux, any file written through this flaw is owned by root, enabling an attacker to implant persistence mechanisms, overwrite sudo configurations, or corrupt critical system files. Affected product: SonicWall NetExtender Linux ≤ 10.3.5, per EUVD-2026-65747 and advisory SNWLID-2026-0013.
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Severity by source
AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Delivering a malicious tarball requires MITM positioning or control of the delivery endpoint, raising AC to H over the vendor's AC:L.
Primary rating from Vendor (sonicwall).
CVSS VectorVendor: sonicwall
Lifecycle Timeline
3DescriptionCVE.org
A Path traversal vulnerability in OPSWAT tarball in the SonicWall NetExtender Linux client allows an attacker to write arbitrary file as root.
Executive ViewAI
SonicWall NetExtender Linux client (versions 10.3.5 and earlier) contains a path-traversal vulnerability enabling unauthenticated attackers to write arbitrary files with root privileges through malicious OPSWAT tarballs. While no public exploits or active exploitation has been identified, the vulnerability poses material risk to remote workforce users and requires immediate inventory and containment actions. Organizations using affected versions must implement interim compensating controls to reduce attack surface until vendor remediation is available.
No vendor-released patch identified at time of analysis. Interim mitigations include: disabling or restricting OPSWAT tarball processing functionality in NetExtender clients where not operationally required; implementing endpoint detection and response (EDR) monitoring for unauthorized file system writes to system directories; enforcing strict controls over OPSWAT tarball distribution channels to prevent delivery of malicious payloads; and conducting user security awareness training to reduce acceptance of suspicious tarball processing requests. Where feasible, consider deploying application whitelisting or behavior-blocking technology to prevent arbitrary file writes with elevated privileges.
Threat Intelligence Overview
How this decision was reached
The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.
What every action level means
SSVC AssessmentENISA
Priority Score
Attack Technique
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EUVD-2026-65747
GHSA-m35m-jcr7-2pvw
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
Exploit-DB