---
id: "CVE-2026-118633"
kind: "vulnerability"
aliases: ["CVE-2026-118633"]
title: "Sophos UTM: path traversal lets unauthenticated remote attackers run code as root"
severity: "critical"
cvss: 9.2
epss: null
exploited: false
status: "open"
category: "infrastructure"
products: []
ecosystems: []
tags: ["email-security", "firewall", "infrastructure", "self-hosted", "sophos-utm"]
not_affected_if: ["email-proxy-disabled", "scanning-disabled"]
published_at: "2026-10-28T19:17:31+00:00"
first_seen_at: "2026-10-28T19:34:55+00:00"
updated_at: "2026-10-28T19:35:42+00:00"
sources: [{"source": "nvd", "url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-118633", "first_seen_at": "2026-10-28T19:34:55+00:00"}]
---

# Sophos UTM: path traversal lets unauthenticated remote attackers run code as root

A path traversal flaw in Sophos UTM (all versions) lets a remote unauthenticated attacker win a race condition and execute arbitrary code as root when the email proxy runs with scanning enabled. Sophos UTM is end-of-life, so the fix must be applied manually.

_Summary, check and fix written by a model from the sources; labelled as such._

## How to check

- Check whether the Sophos UTM appliance is running and which version it is on, using the appliance web admin console.
- Check whether the email proxy is enabled with scanning turned on in the UTM configuration.

## Fix

- Install the manual patch from Sophos for UTM, since the product is end-of-life and has no automatic update.
- If no patch can be applied, disable the email proxy or its scanning feature, or replace the appliance: unknown whether the sources name a specific workaround.

## Timeline

- 2026-10-28T19:34:55+00:00 nvd https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-118633

## From the sources

A path traversal vulnerability allows a remote unauthenticated attacker to execute arbitrary code as root in Sophos UTM (all versions) after winning a race condition by sustaining repeated attacks for a few minutes when the email proxy is used with scanning enabled. Sophos UTM is end-of-life and the patch must be installed manually.

---

_Free to read at a human pace. An API with keys and an MCP server are in preparation; early access: hello@infrastack.ai_