CVE-2026-81939: CWE-22 Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal') in SonicWall Network Security Manager (NSM)

This vulnerability is a path traversal flaw (CWE-22) in the file upload and archive extraction functionality of SonicWall Network Security Manager (NSM) On-Prem. An attacker with high privileges can craft malicious archive files that, when extracted, place files outside the designated extraction directory. This Zip Slip vulnerability enables overwriting or creation of arbitrary files on the host system, potentially leading to full system compromise. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 9.1 (critical), reflecting network attack vector, low attack complexity, required high privileges, no user interaction, and complete impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. No patch or official remediation information is currently available, and no known exploits in the wild have been reported.

Successful exploitation allows an attacker with high privileges to write files outside the intended directory, potentially overwriting critical system files or placing malicious executables. This can lead to full compromise of the affected system's confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the vendor advisory for current remediation guidance. Until an official fix is available, restrict access to the NSM On-Prem file upload functionality to trusted administrators only and monitor for suspicious archive uploads. Avoid extracting untrusted archives. Follow SonicWall advisories for updates.