CVE-2025-14733
Memory Safety in Watchguard Fireware 11.10.2 – 12.5.15
Raw vector
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:RedSummary
CVE-2025-14733 is a critical-severity Out-of-bounds Write (CWE-787) vulnerability in Watchguard Fireware. Its CVSS base score is 9.3 (Critical).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Exploitation for Privilege Escalation (T1068); ranked in the top 2% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; CISA has added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.
The strongest mitigations our analysis identified map to SA-11 (Developer Testing and Evaluation) and SA-15 (Development Process, Standards, and Tools) — see the control section below for these in your framework.
Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary
Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.
CVE-2025-14733 is an out-of-bounds write vulnerability (CWE-787) in WatchGuard Fireware OS that may allow a remote unauthenticated attacker to execute arbitrary code. It affects the Mobile User VPN with IKEv2 and the Branch Office VPN using IKEv2 when configured with a dynamic gateway peer. The vulnerability impacts Fireware OS versions 11.10.2 up to and including 11.12.4_Update1, 12.0 up to and including 12.11.5, and 2025.1 up to and including 2025.1.3. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.8 (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H), reflecting critical severity due to high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts.
A remote unauthenticated attacker can exploit this vulnerability over the network with low complexity, no privileges, and no user interaction required. Successful exploitation enables arbitrary code execution on the affected Fireware OS device, potentially leading to full compromise of the VPN gateway.
Mitigation guidance is available in the WatchGuard PSIRT advisory at https://www.watchguard.com/wgrd-psirt/advisory/wgsa-2025-00027. The vulnerability is also listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog at https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2025-14733.
Published on 2025-12-19, CVE-2025-14733's presence in the CISA KEV catalog indicates real-world exploitation.
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2025-204437
Vulnerability Data
An Out-of-bounds Write vulnerability in the WatchGuard Fireware OS iked process may allow a remote unauthenticated attacker to execute arbitrary code. This vulnerability affects both the mobile user VPN with IKEv2 and the branch office VPN using IKEv2 when configured…
more
with a dynamic gateway peer. If the Firebox was previously configured with the mobile user VPN with IKEv2 or a branch office VPN using IKEv2 to a dynamic gateway peer, and both of those configurations have since been deleted, that Firebox may still be vulnerable if a branch office VPN to a static gateway peer is still configured.
- CWE(s)
- KEV Date Added
- 19 December 2025
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI
Developer testing and evaluation (including fuzzing and bounds checks) finds out-of-bounds write flaws before deployment.
Requiring documented secure-development standards and tools can mandate bounds-checked coding practices that avoid the weakness.
Input validation can structurally reject or sanitize data that would otherwise trigger an out-of-bounds write.
Memory-protection mechanisms limit the exploitability and blast radius of a successful out-of-bounds write.
Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Secure-development practices (static analysis, bounds checking, code review) are the primary means of preventing out-of-bounds writes.
Vulnerability scanning and recording can discover out-of-bounds write flaws so they can be remediated.
Patching or replacing vulnerable software directly eliminates known instances of this coding weakness.
Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Security testing in development and acceptance can detect and prevent out-of-bounds write defects.
Secure development life cycle mandates practices that prevent out-of-bounds writes.
Application security requirements can specify bounds-checking and safe memory handling.
Secure architecture and engineering principles reduce the likelihood of buffer overflows.
Secure coding directly addresses out-of-bounds writes through language choice and coding standards.
Change management can enforce review gates that catch unsafe memory operations before deployment.