CVE-2022-23176VulnerabilityPublished 04/11/2022Updated 10/24/2026

CVE-2022-23176: WatchGuard Firebox and XTM Privilege Escalation Vulnerability

Affects WatchGuard Firebox and XTMSource CISA KEV

Severity

High

No CVSS score published yet

Exploitation: Actively exploited – in CISA KEV since 04/11/2022
KEV deadline: 05/02/2022
EPSS: 10.8% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 95% of CVEs

What to do

CISA required action

Apply updates per vendor instructions.

nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-23176 (opens in a new tab)

Description

CVE-2022-23176 is a high-severity privilege escalation vulnerability affecting WatchGuard Firebox and XTM appliances. It allows a remote attacker with unprivileged credentials to gain privileged management access to the system. The vulnerability has been exploited in the wild. No specific affected versions or patch information is provided in the available data.

Summary

This vulnerability in WatchGuard Firebox and XTM appliances enables a remote attacker who already has unprivileged credentials to escalate their privileges to a management-level session by exploiting exposed management access. This can lead to unauthorized administrative control over the affected devices. The vulnerability is identified as CVE-2022-23176 and has been reported as actively exploited in the wild. No vendor advisory or patch information is included in the provided data.

Impact

An attacker with initial unprivileged access can escalate to privileged management access, potentially allowing full administrative control over the affected WatchGuard Firebox and XTM appliances. This could compromise the device's security posture and network defenses.

Mitigation

Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the vendor advisory for current remediation guidance. Until a fix is available, restrict management access to trusted networks and users only, and monitor for suspicious activity related to management sessions.

What to do

Description

AnalysisAI-generated, updated 10/24/2026, 11:26:10 UTC

References

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