# CVE-2020-5148: Auth bypass in Directory Services Connector

> Attackers can capture privileged user password hashes via NetAPI probing to bypass firewall access controls in SonicWall SSO Agent.

- **Severity:** High 8.2 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:H/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 5 Mar 2021
- **Updated:** 4 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-6q6g-vf9m-7mj7

## What is CVE-2020-5148?

CVE-2020-5148 is a high-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in SonicWall Directory Services Connector, published on 5 Mar 2021. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

SonicWall SSO-agent default configuration uses NetAPI to probe the associated IP's in the network, this client probing method allows a potential attacker to capture the password hash of the privileged user and potentially forces the SSO Agent to authenticate allowing an attacker to bypass firewall access controls.

Weakness: CWE-287 (Improper Authentication)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-5148?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Sonicwall Directory Services Connector.

## How do I fix CVE-2020-5148?

No fix has been published for CVE-2020-5148 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2020-5148 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-5148 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Public exploit code:

- CVE-2020-5148 - Forced Authentication in the SonicWall UTM SSO Agent. The agent probes unvalidated workstations as Domain Admin, so one outbound web request yields a privileged NTLMv2 hash. Advisory SNWLID-2021-0003. (github_poc): https://github.com/l0lsec/CVE-2020-5148

## Other vulnerabilities in SonicWall Directory Services Connector

- [CVE-2023-44219](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-44219/): Privilege escalation in Directory Services Connector (high 7.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2020-5148 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2020-5148 is a high-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in SonicWall Directory Services Connector, published on 5 Mar 2021. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-5148 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: SonicWall Directory Services Connector. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-5148/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-5148/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-5148
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-5148
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2020-5148

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-5148/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.