Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) are everywhere. They’re the front door to remote access, cross-border operations, and distributed teams. But here’s the catch: when misconfigured or left unpatched, they can also be your biggest liability.
From zero-day exploits to configuration oversights, VPN vulnerabilities continue to be one of the most common attack vectors in breaches targeting businesses. And if your organization provides VPN access or sells VPN-powered products, you’re on the hook.
Let’s break down the real threats, what attackers are exploiting right now, and what businesses should be doing to lock things down.
Why VPNs Are Still Target #1
VPNs were designed to protect internal systems from outside access. But ironically, they’ve become one of the easiest ways in — when poorly managed.
Most attackers don’t break the door down. They just find a window left open. A forgotten appliance. A missed patch. A test login still enabled.
Worse? VPNs provide a level of trust attackers love. Once inside, they can move laterally, access file shares, sniff internal traffic, and blend in with legitimate users.
VPNs aren’t insecure by nature — but they become insecure when not maintained. And the consequences are brutal.
VPN Vulnerabilities List: Real Threats from 2022–2025
Attackers aren’t working with hypotheticals. These are verified, documented vulnerabilities that have been actively exploited in real-world attacks between 2022 and 2025. If your VPN infrastructure isn’t regularly audited and patched, you’re likely exposed to one or more of them.
| CVE ID | Vendor | Risk | Summary |
| CVE-2025-24813 | SonicWall SMA 100 Series | High | Authentication bypass allowing web interface control. Under active scanning by threat actors. |
| CVE-2025-26633 | Pulse Secure VPN | Critical | Remote command execution through POST requests. Exploited in finance-sector phishing campaigns. |
| CVE-2025-24085 | Citrix NetScaler Gateway | High | Pre-auth flaw enabling full session hijacking through exposed web UI. |
| CVE-2024-38202 | Fortinet FortiOS / FortiProxy | Critical | Stack-based buffer overflow via crafted input. Leads to unauthenticated remote code execution. |
| CVE-2024-6387 | OpenSSH in VPN-linked appliances | High | Signal handler race condition. Enables local privilege escalation, especially on embedded VPN endpoints. |
| CVE-2024-21887 | Ivanti Connect Secure / Policy Secure | High | Command injection flaw, often chained with CVE-2023-46805. Used in real-world zero-day attacks. |
| CVE-2023-46805 | Ivanti Connect Secure | High | Authentication bypass used in tandem with other flaws to breach VPN devices. |
| CVE-2023-27997 | Fortinet FortiGate SSL VPN | Critical | Heap buffer overflow in SSL VPN daemon. Actively exploited in ransomware operations. |
| CVE-2023-22809 | Fortinet FortiOS | Medium | Post-auth privilege escalation. Common in pivot stages of advanced attacks. |
| CVE-2022-20695 | Cisco ASA VPN / AnyConnect | High | Authentication bypass through improper validation. Exploited in brute force campaigns. |
| CVE-2022-1388 | F5 BIG-IP (VPN-adjacent appliance) | Critical | Management interface flaw enabling unauthenticated RCE. Often exploited as a pre-VPN access vector. |
These vulnerabilities span across enterprise vendors like Fortinet, Ivanti, SonicWall, Citrix, Cisco, Pulse Secure, and Oracle. Many were used in ransomware operations, nation-state intrusions, and credential harvesting campaigns.
If you’re running any VPN solution deployed before 2024 — and haven’t patched in the last 3–6 months — it’s time for a full audit. The threat isn’t theoretical. It’s already happening.
What Are the Most Common VPN Vulnerabilities?
Let’s categorize what makes VPNs vulnerable — beyond the CVEs.
1. Unpatched Systems
Failure to apply vendor updates is the #1 cause of VPN breaches. All the CVEs above are fixable — if patched quickly. But attackers often exploit these within hours of disclosure.
2. Weak Authentication
Still using username + password logins? Without MFA, you’re exposed to password spraying, credential stuffing, and brute-force tools.
3. Exposed Management Interfaces
VPN portals should never be accessible to the entire internet. Many breaches start with Shodan-discovered interfaces running outdated versions.
4. Flat Network Access
Once inside, if your VPN gives full access to internal assets without segmentation, attackers have a playground.
5. Lack of Monitoring
VPNs without logging or anomaly detection can’t tell when something’s wrong. If no one’s watching, attackers stick around.
Real-World Exploits: Recent Breaches via VPNs
- Fortinet VPN vulnerability (CVE-2024-38202): Exploited in Q1 2025 to compromise a European law firm. The attack was traced back to an unpatched SSL VPN exposed online.
- SonicWall SSL VPN vulnerability (CVE-2025-24813): Enabled admin interface takeover, leading to data exfiltration from a logistics software vendor.
- Ivanti VPN vulnerability(e.g., CVE-2024-21887): Part of chained pre-auth attacks used to compromise government and healthcare systems.
- Cisco VPN tool vulnerability (CVE-2022-20695): Allowed attackers to spoof login states and gain user-level access on unsegmented networks.
Even more alarming: several of these were zero-days initially — meaning they were exploited before patches existed.
Why Are VPN Vulnerabilities So Dangerous for Businesses?
A compromised VPN isn’t just a tech problem. It’s a business continuity risk. Here’s what follows a VPN breach:
- Internal systems exposed (databases, billing portals, CRMs)
- Sensitive documents accessed (contracts, HR data)
- Malware dropped behind firewalls (ransomware, infostealers)
- Third-party clients targeted through lateral movement
- Compliance and legal exposure (especially for finance and healthcare)
In short: if your VPN gets compromised, it’s not just your data at risk — it’s your clients’, your partners’, and your entire operational layer.
What’s Missing from Most Coverage of VPN Vulnerabilities?
Most articles talk about the obvious — outdated protocols, known CVEs, and password weaknesses. But here’s what they miss:
- VPN Provider Infrastructure Risk: What happens if the VPN provider’s servers or dashboards are exploited? That’s rarely addressed.
- Zero Trust Transition: The shift away from “trust everyone on the VPN” to segment-based, verified access is huge — and often overlooked.
- Regulatory Pressure: GDPR, HIPAA, and PCI compliance increasingly require auditability and access control — both weak points in many legacy VPNs.
- API Exposure: Many business VPNs integrate with third-party tools. Those integrations are often the weakest link.
What Should Businesses Be Doing Right Now?
Here’s a practical, technical checklist for B2B IT teams, SaaS vendors, and managed service providers:
Audit All VPN Assets
List every VPN endpoint — physical, virtual, cloud-based. Cross-reference with recent CVEs.
Patch on a Schedule — Not a Panic
Create a real update routine. Not “when we remember,” but weekly checks.
Lock Down Interfaces
Management portals should only be accessible via internal IP or secured jump boxes.
Segment VPN Access
Not every user needs access to everything. Restrict access to only necessary systems.
Implement MFA Everywhere
Especially for administrative users. Don’t rely on IP whitelists alone.
Monitor VPN Usage
Log logins. Set alerts for new devices, weird hours, or location anomalies.
Retire Legacy Protocols
PPTP, IKEv1, and L2TP should be deprecated. Modern VPNs use WireGuard or strong TLS-backed OpenVPN.
Why Traditional VPNs Are Being Replaced?
A growing number of companies are moving away from monolithic VPN models in favor of Zero Trust architectures. Why?
- VPNs often grant full access after a single login.
- They don’t verify lateral movement or app-level requests.
- VPN session hijacking is easier than people think.
Zero Trust flips this: verify every connection, isolate by default, monitor constantly.
But building this infrastructure isn’t cheap — or fast. That’s where solutions like PureVPN White Label help.
PureVPN White Label: VPN Built for B2B Security
If you’re building, selling, or managing a VPN-powered product — do it the right way.
PureVPN’s White Label solution lets you launch your own branded VPN platform, but with the control, security, and infrastructure of an enterprise-grade stack.
You get:
- Branded VPN apps (desktop, mobile, browser)
- Access control dashboards for your team or customers
- Built-in MFA, IP filtering, and WireGuard support
- Full control over servers, logs, and network routing
- Zero infrastructure overhead
We also provide API and SDK options — so if you want to embed VPN features into your SaaS platform or mobile app, you can.
Whether you’re an MSP, cybersecurity platform, or B2B SaaS firm — give your users secure, private access without reinventing the wheel.
Final Thoughts
The VPN vulnerabilities we’ve seen over the past few years aren’t going away. They’re getting faster, stealthier, and more automated.
Fortinet. Ivanti. SonicWall. Citrix. Cisco. Even well-funded security vendors have been exploited.
If you’re offering remote access — to your team, your clients, or through your product — the risk is yours.
You don’t need to eliminate VPNs. You need to secure them, segment them, monitor them — and build smarter.
Don’t be the next CVE waiting to happen.