WatchGuard Firebox and XTM Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2022-23176)

WatchGuard Firebox and XTM appliances allow a remote attacker with unprivileged credentials to access the system with a privileged management session via exposed management access.

Published Feb 24, 2022 · Updated May 29, 2026

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Why patchRisk explained in plain English

Worst-case scenarioIf unpatched

A remote attacker, with a low-privilege account, can achieve full data confidentiality loss, arbitrary modification of data, complete denial of service or system unavailability. Federal agencies are required to remediate by 2022-05-02 under CISA BOD 22-01.

How the attack worksNo clicks needed

This vulnerability affects WatchGuard Firebox and XTM. Exploitation requires remote network access, low attack complexity, a low-privilege authenticated account, and no user interaction required.

Am I affected?Quick check

Probably yes if any of these apply:

●IT Security

●Running fireware: 12.0.0 ≤ v < 12.1.3, 12.2.0 ≤ v < 12.5.7, 12.1.3, 12.5.7, 12.7.2

Real-world incidentsWhat we've seen

CISA added this CVE to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2022-04-11 based on evidence of active exploitation in the wild. Federal agencies required to remediate by 2022-05-02.

How to patch

Get the fix

Apply the fixed package from your vendor. The advisory lists affected versions and the exact fixed build.

↗ Vendor advisory

Manual remediation steps