CVE-2025-13940

Integrity-check bypass via omitted boot shutdown

Published Dec 4, 2025 · Updated Aug 10, 2026

Expected behavior violation in WatchGuard Fireware OS allows local users to bypass the boot-time system integrity check. The boot path fails to enforce its documented shutdown response after cryptographic verification of protected system files fails; WatchGuard has not disclosed the specific implementation error. Exploitation requires high privileges and local access to alter protected files, and the result is continued boot with compromised system files while the on-demand Web UI check still reports failure.

CVSS severity6.7
Medium
EPSS probability0.13%
Next 30 days · Sep 17, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Expected behavior violation in WatchGuard Fireware OS allows local users to bypass the boot-time system integrity check. The boot path fails to enforce its documented shutdown response after cryptographic verification of protected system files fails; WatchGuard has not disclosed the specific implementation error. Exploitation requires high privileges and local access to alter protected files, and the result is continued boot with compromised system files while the on-demand Web UI check still reports failure.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-13940
Published
Dec 4, 2025
Updated
Aug 10, 2026
Vendor
WatchGuard Technologies, Inc.
Product
Fireware OS
Classifications
CWE-440, T1601
Attack vector
local
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Dec 4, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 10, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=12.8.1 <12.11.5
  2. Affected versionversion=2025.1 <2025.1.3

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

WatchGuard Technologies, Inc. · Fireware OSversion=12.8.1 <12.11.5; version=2025.1 <2025.1.3

Published CVSS scores

6.7WatchGuard Technologies, Inc.CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:H/UI:N/VC:N/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 11, 2026Sep 17, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 17, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesadmin
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-440Expected Behavior Violation
T1601Modify System Image

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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