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CriticalCISA KEVExploited in the wildPublic exploit

Unauthenticated RCE in WatchGuard Fireware OS iked via IKEv2 CERT Payload Out-of-Bounds Write

IdentifiersCVE-2025-14733CWE-787· Out-of-bounds Write

CVE-2025-14733 is a critical out-of-bounds write vulnerability in the iked (Internet Key Exchange Daemon) process of WatchGuard Fireware OS, the operating system used by WatchGuard Firebox appliances. The flaw is triggered during IKEv2 negotiation by crafted IKE_AUTH requests containing oversized CERT payloads greater than 2000 bytes, causing memory to be written outside allocated bounds. The issue affects Mobile User VPN with IKEv2 and Branch Office VPN using IKEv2 when configured with a dynamic gateway peer; reporting also indicates some residual exposure may remain where static gateway peer configurations persist after prior dynamic-peer use. A remote attacker does not need authentication or user interaction to reach the vulnerable code path. WatchGuard and multiple downstream advisories report active exploitation attempts in the wild.

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ANALYST BRIEF

Impact, mitigation & remediation

What it means. What to do now. Patch path, mitigations, and the assume-compromise checklist.

Impact

What an attacker gets, and what they’ve been doing with it.

Successful exploitation can result in arbitrary code execution on the affected Firebox appliance, up to full device compromise. Reported downstream impacts include theft of configuration and user database files, exposure of locally stored secrets, interception or manipulation of VPN traffic, credential exposure, disruption of VPN tunnel negotiation and re-keying due to iked hangs, and use of the appliance as an initial access point for lateral movement into internal networks. Patching does not remediate any prior compromise.

Mitigation

If you can’t patch tonight, do this now.

If immediate patching is not possible, disable or avoid vulnerable IKEv2 configurations, particularly Mobile User VPN with IKEv2 and Branch Office VPN using IKEv2 with dynamic gateway peers. Where operationally feasible, restrict branch office VPN use to static gateway peers only and follow WatchGuard’s hardening guidance for IPSec/IKEv2 branch office VPNs. Increase monitoring for indicators of attack and compromise, including malformed or unusually large CERT payloads in IKE_AUTH exchanges, abnormal certificate-chain log entries, unexpected iked crashes or hangs, unexplained VPN negotiation failures, suspicious inbound scanning, and suspicious outbound connections from the appliance. Restrict management access, segment networks behind the device, and treat any suspected exploited appliance as fully compromised pending investigation and rebuild.

Remediation

Patch, then assume compromise.

Upgrade affected Fireware OS installations to a fixed release provided by WatchGuard. Reported fixed versions include Fireware OS 2025.1.4, 12.11.6, 12.5.15 for T15/T35, and 12.3.1_Update4 for the FIPS-certified release, as applicable to the platform. Fireware OS 11.x is end-of-life and should be removed from exposure or replaced, as it does not receive a fix. Because compromise may expose locally stored secrets, organizations should rotate VPN shared secrets, credentials, and certificates on affected appliances after patching, especially if exploitation is suspected. Review WatchGuard advisory WGSA-2025-00027 and associated guidance for version-specific upgrade paths and secret rotation procedures.
PUBLIC EXPLOITS

Exploits

No valid public exploits. Mallory filtered out 5 candidates as fakes, detection scripts, or README-only repos.

VALID 0 / 5 TOTALView more in app

All candidate exploits were filtered out by Mallory's validation.

EXPOSURE SURFACE

Affected products & vendors

Products and vendors Mallory has correlated with this vulnerability. Open in Mallory to drill down to specific CPE configurations and version ranges.

VendorProductType
WatchGuard TechnologiesFirewareoperating_system
WatchGuard TechnologiesFireware Osapplication

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What this page doesn’t show

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Exposure mapping

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Threat actor evidence

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Associated malware

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Detection signatures1

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Vendor-by-vendor mapping

Cross-references every affected SKU, including bundled OEM variants.

Social activity107

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