CVE-2025-2782
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 · uneditedThe WatchGuard Terminal Services Agent 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 confidenceWatchGuard Terminal Services Agent for Windows has a directory permission misconfiguration vulnerability when installed in a non-default directory. This allows an authenticated local user to potentially manipulate files or execute code with SYSTEM privileges due to overly permissive access controls on the installation directory.
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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Verify WatchGuard Terminal Services Agent is installedCheck the Windows registry under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall for an entry named 'WatchGuard Terminal Services Agent' or look for the program in Add/Remove Programs. Alternatively, check if the service 'WatchGuard Terminal Services Agent' exists in services.msc.Affected if The software is not installed on the system.
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Locate the installation directoryOpen Registry Editor and navigate to HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\{WatchGuard Terminal Services Agent} and read the 'InstallLocation' value. Alternatively, right-click the service in services.msc and check the path to the executable.Affected if Unable to determine the installation path.
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Determine if the installation path is non-defaultCompare the discovered installation path to the default location. The default installation path is typically C:\Program Files\WatchGuard\Terminal Services Agent\ or C:\Program Files (x86)\WatchGuard\Terminal Services Agent\. Any path outside these default directories is considered non-default.Affected if The installation directory is NOT one of the default paths.
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Inspect directory permissionsRight-click the installation folder in File Explorer, select Properties, then go to the Security tab. Check which users and groups have permissions and what level of access they have. Specifically look for whether Authenticated Users, Users, or Everyone have Full Control, Modify, or Write permissions.Affected if Users other than Administrators and SYSTEM have Write, Modify, or Full Control permissions to the installation directory.
The system is affected if WatchGuard Terminal Services Agent is installed in a non-default directory with overly permissive access controls that allow non-admin users to modify files in the installation folder.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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 dataInstall the Terminal Services Agent in the default directory path, or manually configure restrictive permissions on the installation directory to prevent unauthorized user access. Apply vendor patches when available.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2025-2782 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2025-2782 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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