CVE-2024-29011 is a vulnerability identified in SonicWall Global Management System (GMS) versions 9.3.4 and earlier, categorized under CWE-259 for the use of hard-coded passwords. The flaw exists specifically in the GMS ECM endpoint, where a hard-coded password allows attackers to bypass authentication controls entirely. This means that an attacker can remotely access the management system without any prior authentication or user interaction, exploiting the embedded password to gain unauthorized access. The vulnerability has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.5, indicating high severity, with an attack vector of network (AV:N), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), no user interaction (UI:N), unchanged scope (S:U), and high impact on confidentiality (C:H) but no impact on integrity (I:N) or availability (A:N). The presence of a hard-coded password is a critical security weakness because it cannot be changed or revoked by administrators, making it a persistent attack vector. Although no exploits have been reported in the wild yet, the vulnerability poses a significant risk due to the ease of exploitation and the sensitive nature of the GMS product, which is used to centrally manage SonicWall security appliances. Attackers exploiting this vulnerability could gain unauthorized visibility into network security configurations and potentially leverage this access for further attacks within the network environment.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2024-29011 is substantial, particularly for those relying on SonicWall GMS for centralized security management. Unauthorized access to the GMS ECM endpoint compromises the confidentiality of network security configurations and potentially exposes sensitive security policies and device management data. This could facilitate lateral movement by attackers within corporate networks, increasing the risk of broader compromise. While the vulnerability does not directly affect system integrity or availability, the breach of confidentiality alone can lead to significant operational and reputational damage. Critical sectors such as finance, healthcare, government, and telecommunications in Europe, which often deploy SonicWall solutions, are at heightened risk. The lack of required privileges or user interaction lowers the barrier for exploitation, making it easier for remote attackers to target vulnerable systems. The absence of known exploits in the wild currently provides a window for proactive mitigation, but the threat landscape could evolve rapidly given the attractiveness of this vulnerability.

Immediate mitigation steps include identifying all SonicWall GMS instances running version 9.3.4 or earlier within the organization. Since no official patch or update link is currently provided, organizations should contact SonicWall support for guidance on interim workarounds or configuration changes that can disable or restrict access to the ECM endpoint. Network-level controls such as firewall rules should be implemented to limit access to the GMS management interface strictly to trusted administrative IP addresses. Employ network segmentation to isolate GMS servers from general user networks and untrusted zones. Monitor logs and network traffic for unusual access attempts to the ECM endpoint, and implement intrusion detection/prevention systems with signatures tuned to detect exploitation attempts. Plan and prioritize upgrading to a patched version as soon as it becomes available. Additionally, review and strengthen overall access control policies around management systems and consider multi-factor authentication for administrative access where possible to reduce risk from other attack vectors.