Quick answer
Direct answer
Risk scores
| CVSS metric | What it means |
|---|---|
| Attack vector (AV:N) | Network: reachable remotely |
| Attack complexity (AC:L) | Low complexity |
| Attack requirements (AT:P) | Attack requirements present |
| Privileges required (PR:N) | No privileges required |
| User interaction (UI:A) | Active user interaction |
| Confidentiality (VC:H) | High confidentiality impact |
| Integrity (VI:H) | High integrity impact |
| Availability (VA:N) | No availability impact |
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:A/VC:H/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/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
About Watchguard Authentication Gateway
CVE-2026-95676 affects Watchguard Authentication Gateway, a product from Watchguard. Before acting, confirm where Watchguard Authentication Gateway runs in your estate, who owns it and whether it is reachable from the internet, because exposure decides real risk more than the score alone.
What the flaw is
In plain terms: A missing/improper authentication vulnerability in the WatchGuard AuthPoint Gateway's LDAP Sync first-factor authentication allows a remote attacker to bypass single-factor password verification under non-default operating conditions. Additional authentication factors still apply.
The weakness class is Improper Authentication. The software does not properly prove who a user is.
Based on its CVSS vector, the flaw can be reached over the network, needs no login, and relies on a user taking an action. Apply the vendor fix and confirm exposure on internet facing and business critical assets first.
Affected versions and timeline
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Product | Watchguard Authentication Gateway |
| Affected versions | Authentication Gateway from 4.2.2 before 7.5.1 |
| Published | Sep 23, 2026 |
| Last modified | Oct 7, 2026 |
| Added to CISA KEV | Not listed |
| Assigning CNA | 5d1c2695-1a31-4499-88ae-e847036fd7e3 |
How to detect it
- Inventory every instance of Watchguard Authentication Gateway and record the running version against the affected range above.
- Check external attack surface scans for internet facing instances of the component.
- Review logs on affected systems for unusual requests, errors or new processes around the vulnerable function.
- Confirm with an authenticated vulnerability scan once your scanner has a check for this CVE.
How to fix it
- Apply the fixed version of Watchguard Authentication Gateway named in the vendor advisory.
- If patching must wait, restrict network access to the affected service and put it behind authentication or a web application firewall rule.
- Rescan after the change to prove the exposure is gone, then close the ticket.
CTEM action plan
| CTEM stage | What to do for this CVE |
|---|---|
| Scope | Add every business service that depends on Watchguard Authentication Gateway to the current CTEM cycle. |
| Discover | Find all instances, including shadow and cloud deployments, and record versions and exposure. |
| Prioritize | Rank using EPSS and CVSS together with asset exposure and business impact. |
| Validate | Confirm the flaw is reachable and exploitable in your environment and that compensating controls work. |
| Mobilize | Assign the fix to the asset owner with a due date matched to the priority, then verify closure. |
CWE References
- CWE-287: Improper Authentication More CVEs with this weakness
- CWE-636 More CVEs with this weakness
Technical References
Frequently asked questions
Related CVEs
A NULL pointer dereference vulnerability in the WatchGuard Fireware OS authentication process allows a remote, unauthenticated attacker to crash the management daemon by sending a specially request to the login interface, resulting in a denial of service.
A missing authorization vulnerability in the wgagent management daemon's session initialization function allows an authenticated, low-privileged user (including a read-only or guest administrator account) to crash the wgagent process and read arbitrary files accessible to the daemon by submitting a specially crafted management API request.
A missing authorization vulnerability in the wgagent management daemon's session initialization function allows an authenticated, low-privileged user (including a read-only or guest administrator account) to crash the wgagent process and read arbitrary files accessible to the daemon by submitting a specially crafted management API request.
An integer underflow vulnerability in the WatchGuard Fireware OS IKE daemon (iked) allows a remote attacker who has completed the initial IKEv2 handshake to crash the iked process by sending a specially crafted encrypted IKEv2 message, resulting in a denial of service.
An integer underflow vulnerability in the WatchGuard Fireware OS IKEv2 daemon (iked) allows a remote, unauthenticated attacker to crash the process by sending a specially crafted encrypted IKEv2 message negotiated with an AES-GCM cipher suite.
A code injection vulnerability in WatchGuard Fireware OS's BOVPN Over TLS client configuration handling allows an attacker who controls the remote VPN server to execute arbitrary commands as root on the connecting Firebox.
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