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Incorrect Default PermissionsWeakness · CWE-276

CVE-2025-2781

MEDIUM · 6.3 CVSS v4.0 Published 2025-03-28
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
65/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
The WatchGuard Mobile VPN with SSL Client on Windows does not properly configure directory permissions when installed in a non-default directory. This could allow an authenticated local attacker to escalate to SYSTEM privileges on a vulnerable system.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

The WatchGuard Mobile VPN with SSL Client for Windows fails to set secure directory permissions when installed in a non-default directory. This permission misconfiguration allows an authenticated local user to potentially manipulate executables or configuration files in the installation path, leading to privilege escalation to SYSTEM level.

MitigationApply the vendor patch or upgrade to a fixed version of Mobile VPN with SSL Client beyond version 12.11. As a workaround, ensure the software is installed in the vendor-default directory location.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
Authentication
X
User interaction
None
Scope
X

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/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Verify WatchGuard Mobile VPN with SSL Client is installed
    Check for the product in Windows Registry under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall or look for the WatchGuard Mobile VPN with SSL client application in Programs and Features
    Affected if The software is listed as installed on the system
  2. Determine installed version
    Open Programs and Features, find 'WatchGuard Mobile VPN with SSL', note the version in the 'Version' column. Alternatively, check the executable version at the installation path (typically C:\Program Files\WatchGuard\mobile vpn\wsmtp.exe or similar)
    Affected if Version is 12.11 or lower
  3. Identify the installation directory location
    Right-click the installed program in Programs and Features, select Properties, and check the 'Install Location' path. Compare this to the vendor default path (typically C:\Program Files\WatchGuard\ or C:\Program Files (x86)\WatchGuard\)
    Affected if The software is installed in a directory OTHER than the vendor default location (e.g., D:\VPN\, C:\CustomApps\WatchGuard\, etc.)
  4. Verify directory permissions on the installation folder
    Right-click the installation folder in Windows Explorer, select Properties, go to the Security tab. Check if authenticated users or non-admin users have Write or Modify permissions to the installation directory and its subfolders
    Affected if Non-admin or non-privileged users have Write, Modify, or Full Control permissions to the installation directory contents

A user is affected if Mobile VPN with SSL Client version 12.11 or lower is installed in a non-default directory location, and non-admin users have write permissions to that directory.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

From vendor data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply the vendor patch or upgrade to a fixed version of Mobile VPN with SSL Client beyond version 12.11. As a workaround, ensure the software is installed in the vendor-default directory location.

Have this fixed Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
12.0 hours of engineering $2,120
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2025-2781 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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