Several Fortinet products: attackers can read or change files
OFFICIAL NAME: Fortinet Multiple Products Path Traversal Vulnerability
WHAT IT IS · VPN, FIREWALL OR GATEWAYIt sits at the edge of your network and faces the internet, so attackers can reach it directly.
DO THIS FIRSTIf you have it, patch it today. If you cannot, block access to it from the internet until you can. Not sure if you use it? Send this page to your IT provider or security lead and ask.
TECHNICAL SUMMARY FortiOS, FortiPAM, FortiProxy, and FortiSwitchManager contain a path traversal vulnerability that may allow an authenticated attacker with admin profile and at least read-write permissions to write or delete arbitrary files via specific CLI commands.
WHY THIS VERDICT Attacks are confirmed. The vulnerability is 210 days old, so many systems are likely still unpatched.
WHY IT RANKS HERE Exploitation is confirmed by an authoritative source. The product faces the internet or gives remote access. 5 products are affected.
- HIGHEST CONFIRMED RUNG
- EXPLOITED
- CISA KEV
- LISTED
- EXPLOIT CODE
- NONE KNOWN
How far has it climbed?
01 TALK
▨ REPORTED, NOT CONFIRMEDNEWEST EVIDENCE · 1 SOURCECVE-2025-61624 discussed publicly (CIRCL sighting). CVE-2025-61624 discussed publicly (CIRCL sighting).
02 EXPOSED
□ NOT TRACKED YETNO SOURCE FOR THIS STEP YETWe have no source that counts exposed systems yet. Internet scan data needs a partnership we do not have. No evidence here does not mean nothing is exposed.
03 TRIED
■ CONFIRMEDNEWEST EVIDENCE · 2 INDEPENDENT SOURCESAttacks that worked are confirmed (step 4), so attempts count as confirmed too.
04 EXPLOITED
■ CONFIRMEDNEWEST EVIDENCE · 2 INDEPENDENT SOURCESFortiOS, FortiPAM, FortiProxy, and FortiSwitchManager contain a path traversal vulnerability that may allow an authenticated attacker with admin profile and at least read-write permissions to write or delete arbitrary files via specific CLI commands. CISA Vulnrichment marks CVE-2025-61624 as actively exploited.
05 DAMAGE
□ NOT TRACKED YETNO SOURCE FOR THIS STEP YETBreach notices and filings rarely name the flaw that was used, so we cannot link them to this event yet. No evidence here does not mean no harm.
When each thing happened
- DISCLOSED
- EXPLOIT CODE PUBLICNOT YET
- FIRST ATTACK REPORT
- CISA KEV LISTING
- US FEDERAL DEADLINE
THE FIX
CISA's instruction: apply the vendor's fix, or stop using the product if no fix exists. The deadline CISA set for US federal agencies, Oct 19, 2026, has passed. It is a US government deadline; use it as a guide.
Questions to ask this week
- Do we run Several Fortinet products? If yes, is it patched or cut off from the internet?
- Who owns fixing it, and by what date?
- Have we checked for signs of attack since the first report, not just since the patch?
How it unfolded
- Attack activity. APR 14, 2026CISA Vulnrichment marks CVE-2025-61624 as actively exploited
- Attack activity. OCT 15, 2026Fortinet Multiple Products Path Traversal Vulnerability
- NOV 4, 2026CVE-2025-61624 discussed publicly (CIRCL sighting) (2 reports, latest NOV 5)
SOURCES
- [1] CIRCL Vulnerability-Lookup sightings: CVE-2025-61624 discussed publicly (CIRCL sighting), NOV 5
- [2] CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities: Fortinet Multiple Products Path Traversal Vulnerability, OCT 15
- [3] CVE List V5 and CISA Vulnrichment: CISA Vulnrichment marks CVE-2025-61624 as actively exploited, APR 14
- [4] CIRCL Vulnerability-Lookup sightings: 1 more reports