CVE-2020-12271 Sophos SFOS: database injection
In plain words: Text typed into the app ends up changing the database query behind it. Reading, changing or stealing data from the database.
Confirmed exploited by CISA on · US federal patch deadline May 3, 2022
What to do
- Install Sophos's security update for SFOS. If no update exists, follow the vendor's workaround or stop using the product until one ships.
- Patch edge devices first — attackers often start scanning for them within hours of a fix.
- Never expose the device's admin page to the internet.
- After patching a device that was exposed, follow the vendor's compromise checks, end active sessions and change passwords.
Who is affected
Work IT. Aimed mostly at company systems — you are affected through the companies you use, not your own phone.
What's at risk: They face the internet and guard the whole network, so a flaw here can hand attackers a way in — and these devices usually run no antivirus, so break-ins go unnoticed.
The details
- Official name
- Sophos SFOS SQL Injection Vulnerability
- Product
- Sophos SFOS
- CISA description
- Sophos Firewall operating system (SFOS) firmware contains a SQL injection vulnerability when configured with either the administration (HTTPS) service or the User Portal is exposed on the WAN zone. Successful exploitation may cause remote code execution to exfiltrate usernames and hashed passwords for the local device admin(s), portal admins, and user accounts used for remote access (but not external Active Directory or LDAP passwords).
- Type of flaw
- Database injection (CWE-89)
- Confirmed exploited
- Nov 3, 2021 — known to be used in ransomware attacks
- US federal patch deadline
- May 3, 2022
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Answering about CVE-2020-12271 ·
Questions about CVE-2020-12271
Is CVE-2020-12271 being exploited?
Yes. CISA added CVE-2020-12271 to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on Nov 3, 2021, which means there is reliable evidence of real-world attacks, including by ransomware groups.
How do I fix CVE-2020-12271?
Install Sophos's security update for SFOS. If no update exists, follow the vendor's workaround or stop using the product until one ships. Patch edge devices first — attackers often start scanning for them within hours of a fix.
Am I affected by CVE-2020-12271?
Only if you use Sophos SFOS. Aimed mostly at company systems — you are affected through the companies you use, not your own phone.