CVE-2025-32820 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability (CWE-22) affecting SonicWall's SMA100 appliance, specifically versions 10.2.1.14-75sv and earlier. This vulnerability allows a remote attacker who has authenticated SSLVPN user privileges to inject path traversal sequences, enabling them to write to arbitrary directories on the SMA appliance. The vulnerability arises from improper limitation of pathname inputs, which fails to restrict file operations to intended directories. Exploitation does not require user interaction beyond authentication, and the attacker can leverage this flaw to modify files outside the designated writable areas. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 8.3, reflecting a network attack vector (AV:N), low attack complexity (AC:L), requiring privileges (PR:L) but no user interaction (UI:N). The impact includes low confidentiality loss, but high integrity and availability impact, as attackers can alter critical system files or configurations, potentially leading to system compromise or denial of service. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, but the vulnerability's nature and severity make it a significant risk for organizations using affected SMA100 versions.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a substantial risk, especially those relying on SonicWall SMA100 appliances for secure remote access via SSLVPN. Successful exploitation could allow attackers to modify system files, potentially implanting backdoors, disrupting VPN services, or escalating privileges. This could lead to unauthorized access to internal networks, data breaches, or operational downtime. Given the critical role of VPN appliances in securing remote workforces, exploitation could undermine confidentiality, integrity, and availability of enterprise networks. Organizations in sectors with strict regulatory requirements (e.g., finance, healthcare, government) face heightened risks of compliance violations and reputational damage. The vulnerability's requirement for authenticated access means insider threats or compromised user credentials could be leveraged, increasing the attack surface. The absence of known exploits suggests a window for proactive mitigation before widespread exploitation occurs.

European organizations should immediately assess their deployment of SonicWall SMA100 appliances and verify firmware versions. Upgrading to a patched version beyond 10.2.1.14-75sv as soon as a vendor patch is released is critical. Until patches are available, organizations should implement strict access controls to limit SSLVPN user privileges to the minimum necessary, employing the principle of least privilege. Monitoring and logging of SSLVPN sessions should be enhanced to detect anomalous file operations or unusual path traversal attempts. Network segmentation can reduce the impact of a compromised SMA100 device. Additionally, multi-factor authentication (MFA) should be enforced for SSLVPN users to reduce the risk of credential compromise. Regular vulnerability scanning and penetration testing focused on VPN appliances can help identify exploitation attempts. Finally, organizations should prepare incident response plans specific to VPN appliance compromise scenarios.