Multiple Vulnerabilities in Fortinet Products Could Allow for Remote Code Execution

Multiple vulnerabilities have been discovered in Fortinet products, the most severe of which could allow for remote code execution.

• FortiSIEM is a Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) solution from Fortinet that provides real-time infrastructure and user awareness for accurate threat detection, analysis, and reporting.
• FortiManager is a network and security management tool that provides centralized management of Fortinet devices from a single console.
• FortiManager Cloud is a cloud-based service for centralized management, monitoring, and automation of Fortinet devices across multiple sites
• FortiOS is the Fortinet’s proprietary Operation System which is utilized across multiple product lines.
• FortiPAM provides privileged account management, session monitoring and management, and role-based access control to secure access to sensitive assets and mitigate data breaches.
• FortiProxy is a secure web gateway that attempts to protects users against internet-borne attacks and provides protection and visibility to the network against unauthorized access and threats.
• FortiSwitchManager enables network administrators to cut through the complexities of non-FortiGate-managed FortiSwitch deployments.

Successful exploitation of the most severe of these vulnerabilities could allow for remote code execution in the context of the affected service account. Depending on the privileges associated with the service account an attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights. Service accounts that are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than those who operate with administrative user rights.

Fortinet is aware that CVE-2025-25256 has been exploited in the wild.

Multiple vulnerabilities have been discovered in Fortinet products, the most severe of which could allow for remote code execution. Details of the vulnerabilities are as follows:

Tactic: Initial Access (TA0001)

Technique: Exploitation Public-Facing Application (T1190):

• An improper neutralization of special elements used in an OS command ('OS Command Injection') vulnerability [CWE-78] in FortiSIEM may allow an unauthenticated attacker to execute unauthorized code or commands via crafted CLI requests. (CVE-2025-25256)

Details of lower severity vulnerabilities:

• An Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal') vulnerability [CWE-22] in FortiManager & FortiManager Cloud may allow an authenticated remote attacker to overwrite arbitrary files via FGFM crafted requests. (CVE-2024-52964)
• An incorrect privilege assignment vulnerability [CWE-266] in FortiOS Security Fabric may allow a remote authenticated attacker with high privileges to escalate their privileges to super-admin via registering the device to a malicious FortiManager. (CVE-2025-53744)
• A double free vulnerability [CWE-415] in FortiOS, FortiProxy & FortiPAM administrative interfaces may allow a privileged attacker to execute code or commands via crafted HTTP or HTTPs requests. (CVE-2023-45584)
• An Integer Overflow or Wraparound vulnerability [CWE-190] in FortiOS, FortiPAM and FortiProxy SSL-VPN RDP and VNC bookmarks may allow an authenticated user to affect the device SSL-VPN availability via crafted requests. (CVE-2025-25248)
• An authentication bypass using an alternate path or channel [CWE-288] vulnerability in FortiOS, FortiProxy & FortiPAM may allow an unauthenticated attacker to seize control of a managed device via crafted FGFM requests, if the device is managed by a FortiManager, and if the attacker knows that FortiManager's serial number. (CVE-2024-26009)

We recommend the following actions be taken:

• Apply the stable channel update provided by Fortinet to vulnerable systems immediately after appropriate testing. (M1051: Update Software)
• Safeguard 7.1 : Establish and Maintain a Vulnerability Management Process: Establish and maintain a documented vulnerability management process for enterprise assets. Review and update documentation annually, or when significant enterprise changes occur that could impact this Safeguard.
• Safeguard 7.2 : Establish and Maintain a Remediation Process: Establish and maintain a risk-based remediation strategy documented in a remediation process, with monthly, or more frequent, reviews.
• Safeguard 7.4: Perform Automated Application Patch Management: Perform application updates on enterprise assets through automated patch management on a monthly, or more frequent, basis.
• Safeguard 7.6 : Perform Automated Vulnerability Scans of Externally-Exposed Enterprise Assets: Perform automated vulnerability scans of externally-exposed enterprise assets using a SCAP-compliant vulnerability scanning tool. Perform scans on a monthly, or more frequent, basis.
• Safeguard 7.7 : Remediate Detected Vulnerabilities: Remediate detected vulnerabilities in software through processes and tooling on a monthly, or more frequent, basis, based on the remediation process.
• Safeguard 16.13 Conduct Application Penetration Testing: Conduct application penetration testing. For critical applications, authenticated penetration testing is better suited to finding business logic vulnerabilities than code scanning and automated security testing. Penetration testing relies on the skill of the tester to manually manipulate an application as an authenticated and unauthenticated user.
• Safeguard 12.1: Ensure Network Infrastructure is Up-to-Date: Ensure network infrastructure is kept up-to-date. Example implementations include running the latest stable release of software and/or using currently supported network-as-a-service (NaaS) offerings. Review software versions monthly, or more frequently, to verify software support.
• Safeguard 18.1 : Establish and Maintain a Penetration Testing Program: Establish and maintain a penetration testing program appropriate to the size, complexity, and maturity of the enterprise. Penetration testing program characteristics include scope, such as network, web application, Application Programming Interface (API), hosted services, and physical premise controls; frequency; limitations, such as acceptable hours, and excluded attack types; point of contact information; remediation, such as how findings will be routed internally; and retrospective requirements.
• Safeguard 18.2 : Perform Periodic External Penetration Tests: Perform periodic external penetration tests based on program requirements, no less than annually. External penetration testing must include enterprise and environmental reconnaissance to detect exploitable information. Penetration testing requires specialized skills and experience and must be conducted through a qualified party. The testing may be clear box or opaque box.
• Safeguard 18.3 : Remediate Penetration Test Findings: Remediate penetration test findings based on the enterprise’s policy for remediation scope and prioritization.

• Apply the Principle of Least Privilege to all systems and services. Run all software as a non-privileged user (one without administrative privileges) to diminish the effects of a successful attack. (M1026: Privileged Account Management)
• Safeguard 4.7: Manage Default Accounts on Enterprise Assets and Software: Manage default accounts on enterprise assets and software, such as root, administrator, and other pre-configured vendor accounts. Example implementations can include: disabling default accounts or making them unusable.
• Safeguard 5.4: Restrict Administrator Privileges to Dedicated Administrator Accounts: Restrict administrator privileges to dedicated administrator accounts on enterprise assets. Conduct general computing activities, such as internet browsing, email, and productivity suite use, from the user’s primary, non-privileged account.

• Vulnerability scanning is used to find potentially exploitable software vulnerabilities to remediate them. (M1016: Vulnerability Scanning)
• Safeguard 16.13: Conduct Application Penetration Testing: Conduct application penetration testing. For critical applications, authenticated penetration testing is better suited to finding business logic vulnerabilities than code scanning and automated security testing. Penetration testing relies on the skill of the tester to manually manipulate an application as an authenticated and unauthenticated user.

• Use capabilities to detect and block conditions that may lead to or be indicative of a software exploit occurring. (M1050: Exploit Protection)
• Safeguard 10.5: Enable Anti-Exploitation Features: Enable anti-exploitation features on enterprise assets and software, where possible, such as Microsoft® Data Execution Prevention (DEP), Windows® Defender Exploit Guard (WDEG), or Apple® System Integrity Protection (SIP) and Gatekeeper™.

• Architect sections of the network to isolate critical systems, functions, or resources. Use physical and logical segmentation to prevent access to potentially sensitive systems and information. Use a DMZ to contain any internet-facing services that should not be exposed from the internal network. Configure separate virtual private cloud (VPC) instances to isolate critical cloud systems. (M1030: Network Segmentation)
• Safeguard 12.2: Establish and Maintain a Secure Network Architecture: Establish and maintain a secure network architecture. A secure network architecture must address segmentation, least privilege, and availability, at a minimum.

• Use capabilities to detect and block conditions that may lead to or be indicative of a software exploit occurring. (M1050: Exploit Protection)
• Safeguard 10.5: Enable Anti-Exploitation Features: Enable anti-exploitation features on enterprise assets and software, where possible, such as Microsoft® Data Execution Prevention (DEP), Windows® Defender Exploit Guard (WDEG), or Apple® System Integrity Protection (SIP) and Gatekeeper™.