A heap-based buffer overflow was discovered in the TACACS+ authentication client of SonicOS. The flaw can be triggered before any authentication takes place, allowing an unauthorized remote user to exploit the overflow and crash the client application. As a consequence, legitimate credential processing and network authentication sessions can be interrupted, resulting in a denial of service at the application level.

The vulnerability affects SonicWall devices running the SonicOS operating system. No specific product or version range is provided in the available data, so all installations of SonicOS should be considered potentially impacted until further details are released.

The exploit can be carried out by an unauthenticated remote actor and requires no privileged access. Because the buffer overflow occurs before authentication, any device that processes TACACS+ requests can be targeted. Lacking EPSS data, the exact probability of exploitation is unclear, but the CVSS score of 5.9 indicates a medium severity vulnerability, making the risk noteworthy. The issue is not yet listed in the CISA KEV catalog, indicating no known active exploitation in the wild as of the latest information. The primary attack vector is inferred to be network traffic directed at the TACACS+ port, as the client parses incoming authentication requests when establishing sessions.