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CVE-2026-1498: The Watchman Sleeps: Piercing WatchGuard Fireware via LDAP Injection

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The Watchman Sleeps: Piercing WatchGuard Fireware via LDAP Injection

Vulnerability ID: CVE-2026-1498
CVSS Score: 7.0
Published: 2026-01-30

A high-severity LDAP injection vulnerability in WatchGuard Fireware OS allows remote, unauthenticated attackers to manipulate backend directory queries. By injecting special characters into the management interface login fields, attackers can bypass authentication checks or perform blind LDAP injection to map internal directory structures and exfiltrate sensitive user attributes.

TL;DR

WatchGuard Fireware OS fails to sanitize login inputs, allowing LDAP injection. Attackers can use wildcards to bypass specific username requirements or use boolean inference to map your internal Active Directory structure through the firewall's management interface.

⚠️ Exploit Status: POC

Technical Details

  • CWE: CWE-90 (LDAP Injection)
  • CVSS v4.0: 7.0 (High)
  • Attack Vector: Network (Web UI)
  • Authentication: None (Pre-auth)
  • EPSS Score: 0.20% (Low probability currently)
  • Impact: Info Disclosure, Auth Bypass

Affected Systems

  • WatchGuard Fireware OS 12.0 - 12.11.6
  • WatchGuard Fireware OS 12.5 - 12.5.15
  • WatchGuard Fireware OS 2025.1 - 2026.0
  • Fireware OS: 12.0 <= v <= 12.11.6 (Fixed in: 12.11.7)
  • Fireware OS: 12.5 <= v <= 12.5.15 (Fixed in: 12.5.16)
  • Fireware OS: 2025.1 <= v <= 2026.0 (Fixed in: 2026.1)

Exploit Details

  • Theory: Standard LDAP injection payloads including wildcard abuse and blind injection strings.

Mitigation Strategies

  • Input Sanitization (Vendor Patch)
  • Network Segmentation
  • Attack Surface Reduction

Remediation Steps:

  1. Upgrade Fireware OS to version 12.11.7, 12.5.16, or 2026.1 immediately.
  2. Disable management access on the External/WAN interface.
  3. Configure the backend LDAP server with a read-only bind account with limited scope.
  4. Implement WAF rules to block requests containing LDAP special characters (*, (, ), &) in login fields.

References

Read the full report for CVE-2026-1498 on our website for more details including interactive diagrams and full exploit analysis.

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