CVE-2025-2781

Local SYSTEM escalation via permissive custom-directory ACLs

Published Mar 28, 2025 · Updated Aug 8, 2026

Incorrect permissions in WatchGuard Mobile VPN with SSL Client before 12.11.2 allow local users to gain SYSTEM privileges. The Windows installer applies insufficiently restrictive directory permissions when a non-default installation path is chosen, exposing privileged client files to modification. Exploitation requires an authenticated local account and a Windows installation outside the default directory; successful abuse grants SYSTEM privileges.

CVSS severity6.3
Medium
EPSS probability0.14%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Incorrect permissions in WatchGuard Mobile VPN with SSL Client before 12.11.2 allow local users to gain SYSTEM privileges. The Windows installer applies insufficiently restrictive directory permissions when a non-default installation path is chosen, exposing privileged client files to modification. Exploitation requires an authenticated local account and a Windows installation outside the default directory; successful abuse grants SYSTEM privileges.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-2781
Published
Mar 28, 2025
Updated
Aug 8, 2026
Vendor
WatchGuard Technologies, Inc.
Product
Mobile VPN with SSL Client
Classifications
CWE-276
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Mar 28, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 8, 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=11.0 <12.11.2

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

WatchGuard Technologies, Inc. · Mobile VPN with SSL Clientversion=11.0 <12.11.2

Published CVSS scores

6.3WatchGuard Technologies, Inc.CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:L/VA:N/SC:H/SI:H/SA:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

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No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-276Incorrect Default Permissions

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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