# CVE-2026-13043: Missing authorization in Endpoint Security

> A local attacker can bypass authentication in the WatchGuard Endpoint Security kernel driver to read arbitrary kernel and process memory.

- **Severity:** Critical 9.3 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:H/SI:H/SA:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 1 Oct 2026
- **Updated:** 1 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-33g3-qcrh-xvc2

## What is CVE-2026-13043?

CVE-2026-13043 is a critical missing authorization vulnerability in WatchGuard Endpoint Security, published on 1 Oct 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

A missing authentication vulnerability in the Kernel Memory Access Driver (PSKMAD) used by WatchGuard endpoint security products allows a local, authenticated attacker to bypass the driver's access-control handshake and issue arbitrary privileged commands to the driver, resulting in disclosure of kernel and process memory.

Weakness: CWE-798 (Use of Hard-coded Credentials), CWE-306 (Missing Authentication for Critical Functionality)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-13043?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Watchguard Endpoint Security.

## How do I fix CVE-2026-13043?

No fix has been published for CVE-2026-13043 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2026-13043 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-13043 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Public exploit code:

- CVE-2026-13043 - Exploiting Panda / WatchGuard pskmad.sys authentication bypass for privileged IOCTL access, MSR disclosure and arbitrary process memory reads. (github_poc): https://github.com/TheMalwareGuardian/CVE-2026-13043

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-13043 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-13043 is a critical missing authorization vulnerability in WatchGuard Endpoint Security, published on 1 Oct 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-13043 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: WatchGuard Endpoint Security. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-13043/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-13043/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-13043
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-13043
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-13043

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-13043/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.