Detect WatchGuard Firebox Out-of-Bounds Write Exploitation (CVE-2025-9242) in IBM QRadar
Detects exploitation attempts targeting CVE-2025-9242, an out-of-bounds write vulnerability (CWE-787) in WatchGuard Firebox appliances. This vulnerability is listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, indicating active exploitation in the wild. Successful exploitation may allow remote code execution or denial of service on affected Firebox devices.
MITRE ATT&CK
- Tactic
- Initial Access Execution Impact
QRadar Detection Query
SELECT
DATEFORMAT(starttime, 'YYYY-MM-dd HH:mm:ss') AS event_time,
sourceip,
destinationip,
logsourcename(logsourceid) AS log_source,
category,
QIDNAME(qid) AS event_name,
UTF8(payload) AS raw_payload
FROM events
WHERE
(logsourcetypename(devicetype) ILIKE '%watchguard%'
OR logsourcename(logsourceid) ILIKE '%firebox%'
OR UTF8(payload) ILIKE '%watchguard%')
AND (
UTF8(payload) ILIKE '%crash%'
OR UTF8(payload) ILIKE '%segfault%'
OR UTF8(payload) ILIKE '%out of bounds%'
OR UTF8(payload) ILIKE '%write violation%'
OR UTF8(payload) ILIKE '%buffer overflow%'
OR UTF8(payload) ILIKE '%heap corruption%'
OR UTF8(payload) ILIKE '%stack smash%'
OR UTF8(payload) ILIKE '%access violation%'
OR UTF8(payload) ILIKE '%core dump%'
OR UTF8(payload) ILIKE '%fatal error%'
)
LAST 24 HOURS
ORDER BY starttime DESCAQL query for QRadar hunting WatchGuard Firebox log sources for out-of-bounds write and crash indicators associated with CVE-2025-9242 exploitation over the past 24 hours.
Data Sources
Required Tables
False Positives & Tuning
- Routine Firebox maintenance windows generating crash-like entries in syslog
- Hardware-level errors on the appliance unrelated to exploitation
- Log source misconfiguration causing garbled payload text matching crash keywords
Other platforms for CVE-2025-9242
Testing Methodology
Validate this detection against 3 adversary techniques from Atomic Red Team. Each test below lists the behaviour to exercise and the telemetry you should expect to see. Executable commands and cleanup steps are available with Pro.
- Test 1Simulate OOB Write Crash via Malformed Packet to Firebox Management Port
Expected signal: WatchGuard Firebox syslog should show a connection attempt from the test host IP; if the vulnerability is present, a crash or error log entry with memory-violation language should appear within seconds of the payload delivery.
- Test 2WatchGuard Firebox VPN Endpoint Fuzzing
Expected signal: Firebox syslog should record repeated connection attempts from the fuzzer host; if an OOB write is triggered, a crash or process-restart log entry will appear.
- Test 3Verify Firebox Firmware Patch Status via Management API
Expected signal: The management API or CLI returns the current Firebox firmware version string; if the version is below the patched threshold per WGSA-2025-00015, the device is confirmed vulnerable in the lab environment.
Unlock Pro Content
Get the full detection package for CVE-2025-9242 including response playbook, investigation guide, and atomic red team tests.