CriticalCVE-2025-68686

    Fortinet FortiOS Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor Vulnerability (CVE-2025-68686)

    Published Last modified In CISA KEV since Sources: pwn.watch, CVE.org, BSI

    What is affected, what to do

    An Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor vulnerability [CWE-200] vulnerability in Fortinet FortiOS 7.6.0 through 7.6.1, FortiOS 7.4.0 through 7.4.6, FortiOS 7.2 all versions, FortiOS 7.0 all versions, FortiOS 6.4 all versions may allow a remote unauthenticated attacker to bypass the patch developed for the symbolic link persistency mechanism observed in some post-exploit cases, via crafted HTTP requests. An attacker would need first to have compromised the product via another vulnerability, at filesystem level.

    The vulnerability is being actively exploited; treat it as a priority. Update FortiOS to version 7.6.1. Immediate actions, mitigation and detection rules are in the runbook below.

    Affected
    • Fortinet FortiOS lte 7.6.0..7.6.1
    • Fortinet FortiOS lte 7.4.0..7.4.6
    • Fortinet FortiOS lte 7.2.0..7.2.13
    • Fortinet FortiOS lte 7.0.0..7.0.19
    • Fortinet FortiOS lte 6.4.0..6.4.16

    Not sure whether and how you are affected? Ask a question about this vulnerability

    Metrics

    5.3

    Priority

    XIEM Effective CVSS: highest available CVSS rating from NVD and vendor data.

    Source: NVD, CVSS v3

    5.3

    CVSS v3

    Severity Medium on the scale from 0 to 10.

    Source: pwn.watch, CVE.org, BSI

    29.5 %

    EPSS score

    Elevated — model estimates 10-50% exploitation likelihood.

    Source: FIRST EPSS, percentile 98.2

    Show all metrics
    Severity
    Critical
    Priority (0–325)

    The priority score is a consolidated metric that condenses several individual signals into a single, action-guiding ranking: technical severity (CVSS), exploitation likelihood (EPSS), known-exploited status (KEV) and the context of the affected asset. The aim is to answer the only truly important question in vulnerability management: what first?

    Read in glossary
    217.82 Methodology
    Exploit maturity

    An exploit is code or a technique that specifically uses a concrete vulnerability to force unintended behaviour — such as executing code or escalating privileges. It is the tool that turns a theoretical flaw into a practical attack.

    Read in glossary
    actively exploitedSource: VulnCheck KEV (opens in a new tab) How we classify
    XIEM Effective CVSS

    XIEM® is the tiered managed-security operating model from NEOSEC and a registered trademark of NEOSEC GmbH. It extends classic SIEM — the central collection, normalisation and correlation of security-relevant events — with endpoint forensics, network visibility and deception technology, and consolidates them into three building tiers: Sentry, Orchestrate and Command.

    Read in glossary
    5.3 Methodology
    CVSS v3

    CVSS is the globally established, open standard for assessing the technical severity of a vulnerability on a scale from 0 to 10. It describes how easily a flaw can be exploited and what damage it can cause — but not how likely its actual exploitation is. CVSS and the complementary EPSS deliberately answer different questions.

    Read in glossary
    5.3
    EPSS score

    The EPSS score is the absolute model output for an individual vulnerability: the estimated probability of real-world exploitation within the next 30 days, expressed as a value between 0 and 1 (i.e. 0 % to 100 %). A score of 0.42 means „the model estimates a 42 % chance of real-world exploitation within 30 days“.

    Read in glossary
    29.5 %
    Elevated — model estimates 10-50% exploitation likelihood.
    EPSS percentile

    The EPSS percentile is the relative position of a vulnerability within all EPSS-scored CVEs, expressed as a value between 0 and 1. A percentile of 0.90 means „this CVE has a higher EPSS score than 90 % of all other scored CVEs“. Unlike the EPSS score, it is not a probability — but a positioning within a ranking.

    Read in glossary
    98.2
    Critical — this CVE ranks in the top fifth of all CVEs scored today (rank ≥ 80%).
    KEV status

    The KEV catalogue is a list maintained by the US authority CISA of vulnerabilities for which active exploitation in the wild has been confirmed. It answers not the question „how severe?“ but „is it already being attacked?“ — thereby sharply prioritising patching.

    Read in glossary
    Actively exploited
    Published
    In CISA KEV since

    The KEV catalogue is a list maintained by the US authority CISA of vulnerabilities for which active exploitation in the wild has been confirmed. It answers not the question „how severe?“ but „is it already being attacked?“ — thereby sharply prioritising patching.

    Read in glossary
    CISA assessment (SSVC)
    Exploitation: active · not automatable · Technical impact: partial
    Source: CISA Vulnrichment, as of 27 July 2026
    CWE

    CWE is a catalogue of typical weakness types in software and hardware — such as flawed input validation, unsafe memory handling or poor authentication. Where a CVE names a concrete vulnerability in a concrete product, a CWE describes the underlying class of defect.

    Read in glossary
    CWE-200

    Response and mitigation

    Why act now?

    Prioritisation rationale

    On its own this flaw is hard to exploit, because it presupposes an earlier filesystem-level compromise. Its value to attackers is preserving read-only access to configuration and credentials after Fortinet's original fix, network-reachable and without authentication. Exploitation likelihood is very high, and CISA does not flag ransomware use. Typical targets are internet-facing FortiGates with SSL-VPN, which are widespread across mid-market and critical-infrastructure operators. If your FortiGates were exposed and unpatched at any point in recent years, treat this as high urgency: effectively a compromise assessment plus upgrade. For internal-only units with a clean history, a prompt but regular patch cycle is sufficient.

    1. Runbook step 1

      Immediate response (0-24 h)

      • Inventory: List every FortiGate running FortiOS 6.4, 7.0, 7.2, 7.4 or 7.6. Prioritise units whose SSL-VPN web portal or HTTPS admin interface is internet-reachable. Handle units previously exposed to other FortiOS KEV vulnerabilities first.
      • Upgrade:
        • The CVE description lists 7.6.0–7.6.1 and 7.4.0–7.4.6 as affected. The affected-products data, however, also includes 7.4.7 and 7.6.2.
        • Confirm the fixed release in the Fortinet PSIRT advisory and upgrade only to that version.
        • 6.4, 7.0 and 7.2 are affected in all versions. Plan migration to a supported, fixed branch.
      • Rule out compromise: Exploitation requires a prior filesystem-level compromise. Treat every affected, exposed unit as potentially compromised until proven otherwise. Back up configuration and logs before upgrading to preserve evidence.
      • If compromise is suspected or confirmed:
        • Rebuild the device per Fortinet guidance (clean image, no blind restore of unverified config).
        • Rotate every secret stored on the device: admin and VPN accounts, local users, LDAP/RADIUS bind passwords, IPsec PSKs, certificates and private keys, API tokens.
      • Disable the SSL-VPN web portal where it isn't strictly required. The persistence mechanism abuses file paths served by the SSL-VPN web interface.
      • Assess NIS2 reporting: If compromise is confirmed, evaluate your NIS2 reporting obligation (24 h early warning to the national CSIRT/authority).

    2. Runbook step 2

      Mitigation layers

      • Network segmentation: Allow HTTPS administration only from a dedicated management VLAN or jump-host zone. Remove admin services from WAN interfaces via config system interface → set allowaccess. Also enforce trusthost on all admin accounts.
      • SSL-VPN access restriction: Use local-in policies to restrict SSL-VPN to expected source countries or networks (geo-IP address objects). Block known scanner and anonymiser ranges.
      • Signatures: Keep FortiGuard AV/IPS signatures current. Fortinet shipped detection and cleanup for the original symlink persistence via signature updates. Verify the package status on each unit.
      • Credential hardening: Enforce MFA (FortiToken or SAML IdP) on all VPN and admin access. This makes credentials harvested from a leaked config useless without the second factor.
      • Least privilege: Scope service accounts tied to the device (LDAP bind, RADIUS) to read-only. Alert on their use from any host other than the FortiGate.
      • Lifecycle: Track units that will never receive a fixed branch (6.4, 7.0, 7.2) as a risk-register exception with a hard replacement date.

    3. Runbook step 3

      Detection rules

      • Web requests to SSL-VPN language files: In FortiGate logs or an upstream proxy/WAF, hunt for unusual HTTP GETs to paths serving SSL-VPN portal language or resource files.
        • Red flags are unauthenticated requests, repeated pulls of the same file, and anomalous response sizes.
        • SPL example: index=fortigate uri="*/lang/*" | stats count dc(srcip) by uri, status
      • Config or file exfiltration: Flag large HTTP responses (>100 KB) from the device's web service to external sources outside known admin ranges. Zeek: http.log where resp_body_len exceeds baseline and uri is outside login paths.
      • Follow-on use of leaked credentials: Watch for logdesc="Admin login successful" from sources outside the management network. Also watch SSL-VPN logins (action="tunnel-up") for existing accounts from new geolocations or ASNs.
      • Directory services: Detect the LDAP bind account authenticating from anything other than the FortiGate (Windows Event ID 4624/4625 where TargetUserName = bind account and IpAddress ≠ FortiGate IP).
      • Integrity: Forward results of Fortinet integrity/IoC checks and AV cleanup events (removed-file logs) to the SIEM. Treat any hit as a confirmed incident.

    Detection rules

    No NEOSEC detection rule is available for this vulnerability yet.

    Classification under NIS2 and CRA

    Rule-based classification from exploitation status and severity. It does not replace a case-by-case assessment.

    NIS2

    NIS2 is EU Directive (EU) 2022/2555 to raise the level of cybersecurity across the Union. It substantially broadens obligations compared with the first NIS directive: more sectors, mandatory risk management, staged reporting duties and personal accountability of senior management.

    Read in glossary
    Actively exploited: treat the vulnerability as a priority in vulnerability handling under Art. 21(2)(e) NIS2. If it is exploited in your environment, check the reporting obligation under Art. 23 (early warning within 24 hours).
    CRA

    The CRA is EU Regulation (EU) 2024/2847 setting horizontal cybersecurity requirements for „products with digital elements“ — from industrial controllers and software to connected consumer devices. For the first time manufacturers must ensure security across the entire product lifecycle, handle vulnerabilities and provide security updates.

    Read in glossary
    Since 11.09.2026, manufacturers of affected products with digital elements must report actively exploited vulnerabilities under Art. 14 CRA, with an early warning within 24 hours via ENISA's single reporting platform.
    ISO/IEC 27001

    ISO/IEC 27001 is the internationally leading standard for an information security management system (ISMS). It describes a risk-based, process-oriented framework to systematically plan, implement, review and improve information security.

    Read in glossary
    Control A.8.8, management of technical vulnerabilities: assess relevance to your systems, plan remediation and keep evidence.

    Description

    An Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor vulnerability [CWE-200] vulnerability in Fortinet FortiOS 7.6.0 through 7.6.1, FortiOS 7.4.0 through 7.4.6, FortiOS 7.2 all versions, FortiOS 7.0 all versions, FortiOS 6.4 all versions may allow a remote unauthenticated attacker to bypass the patch developed for the symbolic link persistency mechanism observed in some post-exploit cases, via crafted HTTP requests. An attacker would need first to have compromised the product via another vulnerability, at filesystem level.

    Source: pwn.watch, CISA KEV Catalog, NVD (NIST), cvelistv5, BSI CSAF, BSI WID Portal

    Affected products

    The following versions are affected. Older releases of the same product line are also vulnerable unless stated otherwise.

    Affected products
    Affected versionsFixed in
    FortinetFortiOS
    • < 7.6.1
    • < 7.2.11
    • < 7.4.7
    • < 7.6.2
    • 7.6.1
    • 7.2.11
    • 7.4.7
    • 7.6.2

    Vendors and products

    Affected operating systems

    Affected operating systems
    Mobilefortinetfortios—
    Operating systemFortinetFortiOS7.6.1

    Weakness classes (CWE)

    • CWE-200Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor

      Class

      The product exposes sensitive information to an actor that is not explicitly authorized to have access to that information.

      Entry at MITRE CWE-200

    Public exploit references

    Publicly reported proof-of-concepts, exploit modules and detection templates for this vulnerability. NEOSEC links to the original sources only and does not provide any exploit code.

    Public exploit references
    CISA KEV CatalogCISA Known Exploited Vulnerability (opens in a new tab)cisa.govactively exploited

    References & sources

    • fortiguard.fortinet.compsirt/FG-IR-25-934pwn-watch
    • cisa.govknown-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2025-68686government-resource
    • pwn.watchpwn.watch: Fortinet FortiOS: Fortinet FortiOS Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor Vulnerabilitypwn-watch
    • NVD (NIST)NVD: CVE-2025-68686pwn-watch
    • cisa.govCISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalogpwn-watch

    Changes to this CVE

    Who changed this CVE and when: NVD (analysis, affected products, CVSS), the CVE publisher (CNA) and additional providers such as CISA (ADP).

    1. NVD analysis modifiedNVD

      Show the original change
      Individual changes of this event as published by NVD
      TypeActionBeforeAfter
      Reference typeadded
      —
      CISA-ADP: https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2025-68686 Types: US Government Resource

      Source identifier: nvd@nist.gov

    2. CISA KEV entry updated9119a7d8…

      4 individual changes: Date Added, Due Date, Required Action, Vulnerability Name

      Show 4 original changes
      Individual changes of this event as published by NVD
      TypeActionBeforeAfter
      Date Addedadded
      —
      2026-07-27
      Due Dateadded
      —
      2026-07-27
      Required Actionadded
      —
      2026-07-27
      Vulnerability Nameadded
      —
      2026-07-27

      Source identifier: 9119a7d8-5eab-497f-8521-727c672e3725

    Linked advisories

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