The short answer
- Affected
- NetScaler ADC and NetScaler Gateway builds below the first fixed build for their release, when the precondition below is met.
- Fixed in
- 14.1-47.46 / 13.1-59.19First fixed builds for 14.1 / 13.1. All releases in the table below.
- Current safe build
- 14.1-73.46 / 13.1-64.29Includes later fixes. Advisory data as of 2026-10-15.
- CISA KEV
- Added 2025-06-30, federal due date 2025-07-21. Known ransomware use: Unknown.
- Forensic triage
- No forensic triage flag on this KEV entry.
- CVSS
- 9.2 (CVSS v4.0, vendor score in CTX694788)
- Preconditions
- Configured as Gateway or AAA virtual server
- Session kill advised
- No. The bulletin does not call for session termination. Community guidance recommends it (see After patching).
Fixed builds from the Citrix® security bulletin CTX694788
| Release | First fixed build | Current safe build |
|---|---|---|
| NetScaler 14.1 | 14.1-47.46 | 14.1-73.46 |
| NetScaler 13.1Past end of maintenance | 13.1-59.19 | 13.1-64.29 |
| NetScaler 13.1 FIPS/NDcPPPast end of maintenance | 13.1-37.236 FIPS13.1-FIPS fix delivered via support | 13.1-37.283 FIPS |
| NetScaler 12.1 FIPS/NDcPP | Not affected |
FIPS and NDcPP builds have separate fixed builds: see the table and the bulletin.
What it is
“Citrix NetScaler ADC and Gateway Buffer Overflow Vulnerability”
Our advisory data, taken from CTX694788, summarises it as: Memory overflow (vendor: DoS; exploited as RCE). Vulnerability class: buffer overflow (CWE-119). Precondition: Configured as Gateway or AAA virtual server.
For the full description, read the CVE.org record for CVE-2025-6543 and the vendor bulletin.
Am I affected?
Two things must both be true: the appliance runs a build below the fixed build for its release (see the table above), and its configuration meets the precondition: Configured as Gateway or AAA virtual server. Find the build with show ns version on the CLI.
Enter your build to check it against CVE-2025-6543 and every other NetScaler CVE in our data. The checker runs in your browser and never connects to any appliance.
Open the checker with CVE-2025-6543 highlightedHow to patch
- Choose the target build: at least
14.1-47.46on 14.1 or13.1-59.19on 13.1. Prefer the current safe build (14.1-73.46 / 13.1-64.29), which also includes later fixes. FIPS and NDcPP appliances need their own fixed build from the table above. - Upgrade every node. In an HA pair, upgrade the secondary first, fail over, then upgrade the former primary. Our HA pair upgrade runbook walks through each step and the rollback.
- Confirm the build on each node with
show ns version, then work through the post-patch steps below.
13.1 is past end of maintenance, so plan the move to 14.1 while you are in the change window. Check the release dates in our NetScaler end-of-life guide.
After patching
Steps in the vendor bulletin
vendor bulletinThe bulletin does not call for session termination. It lists no post-patch steps beyond the upgrade.
Additional steps from CISA, CERTs and researchers
community guidancekill icaconnection -all
clear lb persistentSessions- kill icaconnection -all: NCSC-NL
- clear lb persistentSessions: NCSC-NL
Run session kills only after every HA or cluster node is on the fixed build.
Hunt for compromise
Upgrading does not remove an existing compromise. These indicators and tools are published guidance; we do not run them for you.
NCSC-NL live-host, core-dump and disk-image checks
- Atypical file dates
- Duplicate file names with different extensions
- Missing PHP files
sh TLPCLEAR_check_script_cve-2025-6543-v1.8.sh # writes /var/log/custom_checks_*.logTools: NCSC-NL citrix-2025 (EUPL-1.2)
Source: NCSC-NL
Timeline
- Vendor bulletin CTX694788 published with fixed builds
- Added to the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog
- CISA federal remediation due date
Related CVEs
No other CVEs share this bulletin or a fixed build in our data.
Every exploited NetScaler CVE, newest firstSources
- Vendor bulletin: CTX694788, NetScaler ADC and Gateway security bulletin for CVE-2025-6543 (published 2025-06-25)
- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-6543
- CISA KEV catalog JSON feed, version 2026.10.15: https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/feeds/known_exploited_vulnerabilities.json
Last verified 2026-10-15 against CISA KEV and CVE.org. Advisory data version 2026.10.15-1.