CVE-2022-23176
CVE-2022-23176 is a security flaw in WatchGuard Firebox and XTM. Someone who already has a foothold can use WatchGuard Firebox and XTM to take full control of the machine. The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) added it to its catalog of flaws known to be used in attacks on 11 Apr 2022.[1]
WatchGuard Firebox and XTM is business software or equipment. Most families won’t have it, but attackers break into it to get inside companies, and from there to what those companies hold about their customers, patients and staff. WatchGuard has published a fix or advice.
Description
CISA calls it a privilege escalation in WatchGuard Firebox and XTM. In its words: “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.”[1]
The CVE record adds: “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. This vulnerability impacts Fireware OS before 12.7.2_U1, 12.x before 12.1.3_U3, and 12.2.x through 12.5.x before 12.5.7_U3.”[2]
It scores 8.8 out of 10 on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System, which rates it high, scored by NVD using CVSS 3.1.[2]
Affected versions
NVD’s record doesn’t list version ranges for it; WatchGuard’s advisory has them[3]. CISA names the product as WatchGuard Firebox and XTM.
Most families won’t have WatchGuard Firebox and XTM; it’s for whoever looks after IT at work.
Exploitation
CISA added it to its catalog of known exploited vulnerabilities on 11 Apr 2022, 46 days after it was made public. CISA lists a flaw only when it has reliable evidence of it being exploited, and gave US federal agencies until 2 May 2022 to fix it.[1]
FIRST’s Exploit Prediction Scoring System, which estimates how likely a flaw is to be used in attacks in the next 30 days from what it sees across the internet, puts it at 11%. That’s in the top 5% of the flaws it scores.[4]
CISA assesses it as not automatable: each attack takes some work.
CISA doesn’t say who was attacked, or how.
Fix
WatchGuard has published a fix or advice.[3] CISA’s required action: “Apply updates per vendor instructions.”[1]
- Check whether you use it.WatchGuard Firebox and XTM is business software or equipment, so most families won’t have it. If you run a business, or work from home on company equipment, ask whoever looks after your IT.
- Send this page to your IT person.Ask them to confirm it’s fixed, or not in use. CISA gave US government agencies until 2 May 2022 to fix it.
- If it can’t be fixed, take it offline.CISA’s advice when there’s no fix is to stop using the product, or take it off the internet, until there is one.
You can’t fix someone else’s server, but you can watch for what follows a break-in like this: a breach notice, a password reset you didn’t ask for, or a scam message that knows things it shouldn’t. HARD watches for those for you and your family.
Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| The flaw is made public in the National Vulnerability Database, with a severity score of 8.8.[2] | |
| CISA adds it to its catalog of flaws known to be used in attacks.[1] | |
| CISA’s deadline for US government agencies to fix it.[1] | |
| FIRST puts the odds of it being used in attacks in the next 30 days at 11%.[4] |
See also
Other WatchGuard flaws
- CVE-2025-14733, WatchGuard Firebox: out of bounds write ·
- CVE-2025-9242, WatchGuard Firebox: out-of-bounds write ·
- CVE-2022-26318, WatchGuard Firebox and XTM Appliances: arbitrary code execution ·
Similar flaws
- CVE-2026-111357, Ivanti Connect Secure: missing authentication for critical function ·
- CVE-2026-97229, GitLab Community Edition and Enterprise Edition: integer overflow or wraparound ·
- CVE-2026-76418, Cisco Secure Firewall ASA Software and Cisco Secure FTD Software: unchecked return value to NULL pointer dereference ·
- CVE-2026-48356, Adobe Commerce and Magento: unrestricted upload of file with dangerous type ·
- CVE-2026-111497, Google Brotli: unchecked return value ·
Added the same day
- CVE-2021-42287, Microsoft Active Directory: domain services privilege escalation ·
- CVE-2021-42278, Microsoft Active Directory: domain services privilege escalation ·
- CVE-2021-39793, Google Pixel: out-of-bounds write ·
- CVE-2021-27852, Checkbox Survey: survey deserialization of untrusted data ·
- CVE-2021-22600, Linux Kernel: privilege escalation ·
Every WatchGuard flaw on CISA’s list · Everything added in April 2022
References
- ^ Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. “WatchGuard Firebox and XTM Privilege Escalation Vulnerability”. Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog, added 11 Apr 2022.
- ^ National Institute of Standards and Technology. “CVE-2022-23176 Detail”. National Vulnerability Database, published 24 Feb 2022.
- ^ WatchGuard. Advisories and fixes: securityportal.watchguard.com, watchguard.com, watchguard.com, watchguard.com.
- ^ FIRST. “Exploit Prediction Scoring System”. EPSS 0.108, percentile 95.8, 31 Oct 2026.
- CVE Program. “CVE-2022-23176”. The official CVE record.
This article is built from CISA’s catalog (version 2026.10.30), NVD’s record and FIRST’s scores, kept in HARD’s database and checked every morning. The plain English is HARD’s.