Overview
A critical security vulnerability, identified as CVE-2025-1547, has been discovered in WatchGuard Fireware OS. This vulnerability is a stack-based buffer overflow (CWE-121) that could allow an authenticated and privileged user to execute arbitrary code on the affected device. The vulnerability resides within the certificate request command processing of Fireware OS’s CLI interface. This article provides a detailed analysis of the vulnerability, its potential impact, and the necessary steps to mitigate the risk.
Technical Details
CVE-2025-1547 is a stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability [CWE-121] present in how WatchGuard Fireware OS processes certificate request commands received through the command-line interface (CLI). A specially crafted CLI command, designed to overflow the buffer allocated on the stack when processing the certificate request, can be leveraged by an attacker to overwrite adjacent memory. This allows the attacker to inject and execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the authenticated user. Exploitation requires that the attacker has already successfully authenticated with a privileged account. The vulnerability affects the following versions of Fireware OS:
- From 12.0 through 12.5.12+701324
- From 12.6 through 12.11.2
CVSS Analysis
Currently, the CVSS score and severity are marked as N/A. However, given that this is a code execution vulnerability, it is highly likely that once a CVSS score is assigned, it will be rated as high or critical, especially if local access is required to exploit it. We will update this article as soon as the official CVSS score is available.
Possible Impact
Exploitation of CVE-2025-1547 can have severe consequences, including:
- Arbitrary Code Execution: An attacker can execute arbitrary code on the affected WatchGuard device, potentially gaining complete control over the system.
- Data Breach: Compromised devices can be used to access and exfiltrate sensitive data stored on the network.
- Denial of Service (DoS): The attacker could potentially crash the device or disrupt its services.
- Network Pivoting: A compromised device can be used as a pivot point to attack other systems on the network.
Mitigation and Patch Steps
WatchGuard has released a patch to address CVE-2025-1547. It is strongly recommended that all users running affected versions of Fireware OS upgrade to a patched version as soon as possible. Please refer to the WatchGuard security advisory for detailed instructions on how to update your Fireware OS. In addition, consider the following steps to mitigate the risk:
- Apply the Patch: The most effective mitigation is to apply the official patch released by WatchGuard.
- Restrict CLI Access: Limit access to the Fireware OS CLI to only authorized personnel.
- Monitor System Logs: Regularly review system logs for suspicious activity.
- Implement Strong Authentication: Enforce strong password policies and consider multi-factor authentication for privileged accounts.
