# CVE-2021-20025: Hardcoded credentials in Email Security Virtual Appliance

> Attackers can remotely access freshly installed SonicWall Email Security appliances using default credentials before they are connected to MySonicWall.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 13 May 2021
- **Updated:** 3 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-cxhc-5wv5-j4r5

## What is CVE-2021-20025?

CVE-2021-20025 is a high-severity vulnerability in SonicWall Email Security Virtual Appliance, published on 13 May 2021. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

SonicWall Email Security Virtual Appliance version 10.0.9 and earlier versions contain a default username and a password that is used at initial setup. An attacker could exploit this transitional/temporary user account from the trusted domain to access the Virtual Appliance remotely only when the device is freshly installed and not connected to Mysonicwall.

Weakness: CWE-798 (Use of Hard-coded Credentials)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2021-20025?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Sonicwall Email Security Virtual Appliance.

## How do I fix CVE-2021-20025?

No fix has been published for CVE-2021-20025 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2021-20025 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-20025 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2021-20025 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2021-20025 is a high-severity vulnerability in SonicWall Email Security Virtual Appliance, published on 13 May 2021. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-20025 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: SonicWall Email Security Virtual Appliance. 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-2021-20025/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-20025/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-20025
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-20025
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2021-20025

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-20025/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.