Authenticated VPN interruption via iked buffer overflow
Published Aug 27, 2026 · Updated Aug 27, 2026
Stack-based buffer overflow in WatchGuard Fireware OS allows remote authenticated users to interrupt VPN service through IKEv2 traffic. The iked process fails to validate a specified quantity before writing server-controlled partner SPI values into a stack buffer, causing SIGABRT and a process restart. Exploitation requires valid VPN credentials, an established IKEv2 Child SA, and an enabled Mobile VPN or Branch Office VPN IKEv2 configuration; the documented result is a VPN-service interruption.
Summary
What happened
Stack-based buffer overflow in WatchGuard Fireware OS allows remote authenticated users to interrupt VPN service through IKEv2 traffic. The iked process fails to validate a specified quantity before writing server-controlled partner SPI values into a stack buffer, causing SIGABRT and a process restart. Exploitation requires valid VPN credentials, an established IKEv2 Child SA, and an enabled Mobile VPN or Branch Office VPN IKEv2 configuration; the documented result is a VPN-service interruption.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-78010
- Published
- Aug 27, 2026
- Updated
- Aug 27, 2026
- Vendor
- WatchGuard Technologies, Inc.
- Product
- Fireware OS
- Classifications
- CWE-121, CWE-1284, CWE-787, CAPEC-46, CAPEC-100, CAPEC-47, T1499
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Aug 27, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Aug 27, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.
Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=12.0 <12.12.2
- Affected versionversion=12.0 <12.5.20
- Affected versionversion=2025.0 <2026.2.2
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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.
Weakness, pattern, technique
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
See the directory against your own environment.
Your stack
Check the software in your environment
Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.
Book a demo