CVE-2026-102257

Executive Summary

CVE-2026-102257 is a Zip Slip path traversal vulnerability (CWE-22) in the SMA1000 Appliance Management Console (AMC) interface that allows an authenticated attacker to extract files outside the intended destination directory via a specially crafted archive, resulting in remote code execution. The vulnerability carries a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.2 (High), reflecting a network-accessible attack (AV:N) that requires high privileges (PR:H) with no user interaction and full confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact. Because the appliance is a security gateway, successful exploitation yields code execution at the appliance trust boundary, potentially enabling lateral movement into protected network segments. No public proof-of-concept, Nuclei template, or tracked patch currently exists, making this a high-priority unpatched exposure for any organization operating the affected appliance.

Technical Analysis

The vulnerability is classified as a Zip Slip attack, a well-known class of archive extraction flaw mapped to CWE-22 (Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory, "Path Traversal"). Zip Slip arises when an application extracts files from an archive without validating the destination path of each entry. An attacker crafts an archive whose entry names contain directory traversal sequences (e.g., ../ segments) or absolute paths. When the vulnerable extraction routine runs with sufficient privileges, the archive members are written to locations outside the intended extraction directory.

In the SMA1000 AMC context, the NVD description states that a specially crafted archive submitted through the Appliance Management Console interface can cause files to be extracted outside the intended destination directory. Because the write operation occurs within the appliance management plane, the overwritten or newly written files can be positioned in locations that influence execution — leading to remote code execution. The precise extraction routine, file paths, upload endpoint, and parameter names are not disclosed in the available NVD description or CNA title, so this analysis is limited to the documented vulnerability class and mechanism. No specific function names, API parameters, or file paths can be confirmed from the data provided and are therefore not asserted here.

Key attack-surface characteristics:

• Attack vector: Network (AV:N) — the AMC interface is reachable over the network.
• Privileges required: High (PR:H) — the attacker must already hold a privileged session or account capable of initiating the archive processing workflow.
• User interaction: None (UI:N).
• Scope: Unchanged (S:U) — exploitation affects the appliance's own security context.
• Impact triad: High confidentiality (C:H), High integrity (I:H), High availability (A:H).

The combination of PR:H with full impact is significant: while an attacker needs credentials, the reward is full compromise of a management-console function on a security appliance. Such "post-authentication" flaws are frequently chained with credential theft, prior vulnerabilities, or social engineering to obtain the prerequisite access.

Exploitation Scenarios

No public PoC or exploit code is available; the attack chain below is inferred strictly from the documented vulnerability class (Zip Slip / CWE-22) and the NVD description. No specific endpoints, parameters, or internal paths are asserted because they are not present in the source data.

1. Reconnaissance / target identification. An attacker identifies an internet- or network-exposed SMA1000 Appliance Management Console interface. This may be done through internet-wide scanning (for example, querying for the AMC login or management pages) or through internal network enumeration. The goal is to confirm the presence of the AMC interface and the archive-processing functionality.

2. Access acquisition. Because the CVSS vector specifies PR:H, the attacker must first obtain high-privileged access to the AMC — for example, valid administrative credentials obtained through phishing, credential reuse, password spraying, or a separate vulnerability. No bypass of authentication is described for this CVE.

3. Triggering the flaw. Using the authenticated AMC session, the attacker uploads a specially crafted archive to a functionality that performs server-side extraction. Within that archive, one or more entries carry traversal sequences or absolute paths so that upon extraction, files are written outside the intended destination directory. The exploitation primitive is the extraction routine's failure to constrain each entry's path — the defining Zip Slip condition.

4. Payload / execution. The Zip Slip write places attacker-controlled content at a location that the appliance subsequently executes or includes. The NVD description explicitly states the outcome is remote code execution. The specific file placement required to achieve execution is application-specific and not disclosed in the available data.

5. Post-exploitation impact. Successful code execution yields control within the appliance's management context. Given the appliance's role as a security gateway, the attacker could potentially access stored credentials, alter security policy, pivot into protected network segments, or establish persistence — consistent with the High confidentiality, integrity, and availability ratings. (Concrete persistence mechanisms are not documented for this CVE.)

Impact Assessment

The CVSS 3.1 base score is 7.2 (High) with vector CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. Breakdown of contributing subscores:

• Exploitability: Remote (AV:N) and low complexity (AC:L) with no user interaction (UI:N), moderated only by the requirement for high privileges (PR:H).
• Impact: All three impact metrics are High (C:H/I:H/A:H), indicating total loss of confidentiality, integrity, and availability for the affected component.
• Scope: Unchanged (S:U) — the impact is confined to the vulnerable appliance's security authority.

Business impact is severe for affected organizations. The SMA1000 functions as a secure access/management gateway; code execution on it can undermine the very control designed to protect internal resources. Blast radius includes the appliance itself and, potentially, any network segment or downstream system that trusts it. Because exploitation requires prior privileged access, the flaw is most dangerous in scenarios where credentials have already been compromised or where an insider threat exists — it converts limited administrative access into full remote code execution. With no patch, no workaround, and no documented mitigating control from the vendor, the residual risk remains elevated for any exposed deployment. Note that the EPSS score is not yet assigned by FIRST.org, so no exploitation-likelihood estimate is available; the vulnerability is not listed in CISA KEV.

Detection Guidance

Sigma Rule

title: Potential Zip Slip Archive Extraction on SMA1000 AMC Interface
id: 8f3a1c2e-4b7d-4e9a-9c1f-2d6e5a7b8c90
status: experimental
description: Detects file-write events indicative of Zip Slip traversal sequences during archive extraction on the SMA1000 Appliance Management Console.
references:
  - https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-102257
author: valtersit.com
date: 2026-01-01
logsource:
  category: file_event
  product: linux
detection:
  selection_path:
    TargetFilename|contains:
      - '../'
      - '..\\'
      - '/tmp/'
  selection_suspicious_ext:
    TargetFilename|endswith:
      - '.jsp'
      - '.sh'
      - '.py'
      - '.war'
  condition: selection_path and selection_suspicious_ext
falsepositives:
  - Legitimate administrative archive operations
level: high

YARA Rule

rule CVE_2026_102257_ZipSlip_Archive
{
    meta:
        description = "Detects archives containing path traversal entry names consistent with Zip Slip (CVE-2026-102257)"
        author = "valtersit.com"
        reference = "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-102257"
        date = "2026-01-01"

    strings:
        $zip_magic = { 50 4B 03 04 }
        $traversal_unix = "../" ascii
        $traversal_win  = "..\\" ascii
        $abs_tmp = "/tmp/" ascii
        $abs_etc = "/etc/" ascii

    condition:
        $zip_magic at 0 and
        (any of ($traversal_*) or any of ($abs_*))
}

Suricata IDS Rule

alert http any any -> any any (msg:"CVE-2026-102257 Possible Zip Slip Archive Upload to SMA1000 AMC"; flow:established,to_server; http.method; content:"POST"; http.request_body; content:"PK"; depth:2; content:"../"; distance:0; within:64; classtype:attempted-admin; reference:cve,2026-102257; reference:url,nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-102257; sid:2026102257; rev:1;)

Elastic Detection

file where event.action == "creation" and
  process.name : ("java", "python", "unzip", "node") and
  file.path : ("*/../*" or "*..%2f*" or "*/tmp/*", "*.jsp", "*.sh")

Splunk SPL Query

index=edr OR index=os
| search (file_path="*/../*" OR file_name="*.jsp" OR file_name="*.sh")
| stats count values(file_path) as paths values(process_name) as procs by host
| where count >= 1

Wazuh OSSEC Rule

<group name="sm1000,zip_slip,web,">
  <rule id="100257" level="12">
    <decoded_as>json</decoded_as>
    <field name="file.path">\.\./</field>
    <description>CVE-2026-102257: Possible Zip Slip path traversal in SMA1000 AMC archive extraction</description>
    <mitre>
      <id>T1190</id>
    </mitre>
  </rule>
</group>

Mitigation & Patch Guidance

Patch confidence: 0/4 — UNPATCHED. No patch evidence exists from any tracked source; the vendor fix is listed as N/A and no affected-version mapping or advisory has been provided.

1) Immediate mitigations (until a patch is available):

• Restrict network access to the SMA1000 Appliance Management Console. Place the AMC behind strict firewall rules and do not expose it to the public internet; limit access to trusted management networks/VPN.
• Enforce least privilege on AMC accounts. Since the vulnerability requires high privileges (PR:H), reducing the number of high-privileged accounts and auditing their use directly lowers exposure.
• Enforce strong, unique credentials and MFA where supported, to reduce the likelihood that an attacker obtains the prerequisite privileged access.
• Monitor and constrain archive-upload functionality; where feasible, disable unused administrative workflows.
• Alert on file-write events exhibiting traversal sequences near the extraction destination (see Detection Guidance).

2) Patch/upgrade steps:

• Monitor the vendor advisory channel continuously. As of this writing, no vendor fix or patched version is identified (Patch sources: none; Vendor Fix: N/A).
• When the vendor releases an update, apply it immediately and verify the extraction routine now enforces canonical, destination-restricted path validation.
• Re-validate that affected version ranges are known; currently none are specified.

3) Long-term hardening:

• Adopt an inventory and patch-management process covering security appliances, since these are high-value targets.
• Harden archive-extraction logic in any in-house tooling: always canonicalize entry paths and reject entries that resolve outside the intended destination.
• Segment the appliance into a dedicated management zone with micro-segmentation to limit lateral movement if code execution occurs.
• Enable central logging and continuous detection for file-write and process-execution anomalies on the appliance.

References

• NVD — CVE-2026-102257: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-102257
• CWE-22 — Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ("Path Traversal"): https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/22.html
• MITRE ATT&CK T1190 — Exploit Public-Facing Application: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1190/
• CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog (CVE not currently listed): https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog

Threat actor / in-the-wild note: No evidence of active exploitation, threat-actor campaigns, public proof-of-concept, or exploit-in-the-wild is currently available for CVE-2026-102257. The vulnerability is not listed in CISA KEV and no EPSS score has been assigned. Details are limited to the NVD description and the derived CVSS vector; affected version ranges and the vendor patch remain unspecified.