{"id":"CVE-2022-23176","published":"2022-02-24T15:15:28Z","modified":"2026-06-17T04:29:37Z","title":"WatchGuard Firebox and XTM Privilege Escalation Vulnerability","vendor":"WatchGuard","product":"Firebox and XTM","tier":"core","eol":null,"description":{"text":"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.","provenance":"source","from":"NVD"},"summary":{"text":"The flaw affects WatchGuard Firebox and XTM appliances running Fireware OS, where exposed management access allows a privileged management session to be obtained. An attacker with only unprivileged credentials and network access to the exposed management interface can reach the system with privileged rights, with no user interaction required.","provenance":"ai","model":"claude-haiku-5-5","generatedAt":"2026-10-23T07:12:55Z"},"cvss":{"score":8.8,"severity":"HIGH","version":"3.1","vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H","provenance":"source","from":"NVD"},"epss":{"score":0.10805,"percentile":0.95832,"date":"2026-10-29","provenance":"source"},"kev":{"dateAdded":"2022-04-11","dueDate":"2022-05-02","ransomware":false,"requiredAction":"Apply updates per vendor instructions.","notes":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-23176","provenance":"source"},"vulncheckKev":{"dateAdded":"2022-03-17","exploitedFirstSeen":"2022-03-17","ransomware":false,"evidence":[{"url":"https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2022/04/watchguard-failed-to-disclose-critical-flaw-exploited-by-russian-hackers/","date":"2022-03-17"},{"url":"https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/feeds/known_exploited_vulnerabilities.json","date":"2022-04-11"},{"url":"https://www.prio-n.com/a-year-in-review-2022-100-vulnerabilities-you-should-prioritize/","date":"2023-02-02"},{"url":"https://hub.dragos.com/hubfs/312-Year-in-Review/2022/Dragos_Year-In-Review-Report-2022.pdf","date":"2023-02-14"}],"evidenceTotal":4,"provenance":"source"},"exploited":true,"otx":{"pulseCount":50,"pulses":[{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 29, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ae20c1db17e7057ae7d9ad1","created":"2026-10-28"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 28, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ae0ba7e0e2a97ff7b218819","created":"2026-10-27"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 27, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6adf68b85c3e852f3c111d18","created":"2026-10-26"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 24, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6adb740e397c3ad4799aa4cd","created":"2026-10-23"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 23, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ada236fcfba2dfa730ea482","created":"2026-10-22"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 22, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad8d33a077cbb5cab524d80","created":"2026-10-21"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 21, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad78130c4d1ac2be83a8b6d","created":"2026-10-20"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 20, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad62f63c24a405a3423cc13","created":"2026-10-19"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 19, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad4dda174e5797d0bd238b7","created":"2026-10-18"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 18, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad38c22e1848f8189d1c121","created":"2026-10-17"}],"provenance":"machine"},"cwes":[],"references":[{"url":"https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2022/04/watchguard-failed-to-disclose-critical-flaw-exploited-by-russian-hackers/","tags":["Third Party Advisory"]},{"url":"https://securityportal.watchguard.com","tags":["Vendor Advisory"]},{"url":"https://www.watchguard.com/support/release-notes/fireware/12/en-US/EN_ReleaseNotes_Fireware_12_1_3_U7/index.html#Fireware/en-US/resolved_issues.html","tags":["Release Notes","Vendor Advisory"]},{"url":"https://www.watchguard.com/support/release-notes/fireware/12/en-US/EN_ReleaseNotes_Fireware_12_7/index.html#Fireware/en-US/resolved_issues.html","tags":["Release Notes","Vendor Advisory"]},{"url":"https://www.watchguard.com/support/release-notes/fireware/12/en-US/EN_ReleaseNotes_Fireware_12_7_2/index.html#Fireware/en-US/resolved_issues.html","tags":["Release Notes","Vendor Advisory"]},{"url":"https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2022/04/watchguard-failed-to-disclose-critical-flaw-exploited-by-russian-hackers/","tags":["Third Party Advisory"]},{"url":"https://securityportal.watchguard.com","tags":["Vendor Advisory"]},{"url":"https://www.watchguard.com/support/release-notes/fireware/12/en-US/EN_ReleaseNotes_Fireware_12_1_3_U7/index.html#Fireware/en-US/resolved_issues.html","tags":["Release Notes","Vendor Advisory"]},{"url":"https://www.watchguard.com/support/release-notes/fireware/12/en-US/EN_ReleaseNotes_Fireware_12_7/index.html#Fireware/en-US/resolved_issues.html","tags":["Release Notes","Vendor Advisory"]},{"url":"https://www.watchguard.com/support/release-notes/fireware/12/en-US/EN_ReleaseNotes_Fireware_12_7_2/index.html#Fireware/en-US/resolved_issues.html","tags":["Release Notes","Vendor Advisory"]},{"url":"https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2022-23176","tags":["US Government Resource"]}],"techniques":[{"id":"T1133","name":"External Remote Services","tactics":["initial-access","persistence"],"provenance":"ai","basis":"ai-mapping","bases":["ai-mapping"],"basisDetail":"claude-haiku-5-5: remote access via exposed management interface","mappingType":"exploitation_technique","evidence":[{"from":"description","quote":"allow a remote attacker with unprivileged credentials to access the system","start":38,"end":112}],"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","confidence":"medium","confidenceNote":"AI-mapped from the description (quote-validated, not expert-reviewed)"},{"id":"T1078","name":"Valid Accounts","tactics":["initial-access","persistence","privilege-escalation","stealth"],"provenance":"ai","basis":"ai-mapping","bases":["ai-mapping"],"basisDetail":"claude-haiku-5-5: yields privileged session from unprivileged creds","mappingType":"primary_impact","evidence":[{"from":"description","quote":"with a privileged management session via exposed management access","start":113,"end":179}],"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","confidence":"medium","confidenceNote":"AI-mapped from the description (quote-validated, not expert-reviewed)"}],"reports":[],"affected":[],"advisories":[],"euvd":{"id":"EUVD-2022-28267","url":"https://euvd.enisa.europa.eu/vulnerability/EUVD-2022-28267","exploited":true,"exploitedSince":"2022-04-11","provenance":"source"},"exploits":[],"exploitSources":null,"exploitRefs":[],"flow":[{"stage":"exploitation","techniques":["T1133"],"provenance":"ai"},{"stage":"primary","techniques":["T1078"],"provenance":"ai"}],"timeline":[{"date":"2022-02-24","kind":"published","label":"Published (NVD)","url":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-23176","provenance":"source"},{"date":"2022-03-17","kind":"exploited-reported","label":"Exploitation first reported (VulnCheck KEV evidence)","url":"https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2022/04/watchguard-failed-to-disclose-critical-flaw-exploited-by-russian-hackers/","provenance":"source"},{"date":"2022-04-11","kind":"kev","label":"Added to CISA KEV","url":"https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog","provenance":"source"},{"date":"2022-04-11","kind":"euvd-exploited","label":"ENISA EUVD: exploited","url":"https://euvd.enisa.europa.eu/vulnerability/EUVD-2022-28267","provenance":"source"}],"speed":{"daysToPublicExploit":null,"firstExploitFrom":null,"daysToKev":46},"priority":{"score":63.3,"factors":[{"name":"In a KEV catalog","points":35.0,"detail":"listed in CISA KEV and VulnCheck KEV"},{"name":"Recent KEV listing","points":0.0,"detail":"added 1687 days ago"},{"name":"Known ransomware use","points":0.0,"detail":"not known"},{"name":"EPSS percentile","points":19.17,"detail":"percentile 0.9583"},{"name":"Named in threat reports","points":0.0,"detail":"0 reports"},{"name":"Public exploit code","points":0.0,"detail":"none found"},{"name":"Mentioned in OTX pulses","points":3.0,"detail":"50 pulses"},{"name":"CVSS severity","points":6.16,"detail":"base score 8.8"},{"name":"End-of-life product","points":0.0,"detail":"supported or unknown"}]}}