An Authentication Bypass Using an Alternate Path or Channel vulnerability [CWE-288] affecting FortiOS version 7.0.0 through 7.0.16 and Forti
Noroxi assessment
Priority: Now (action score 97/100)
- CISA has confirmed exploitation in the wild (Jan 14, 2025); it is known to be used in ransomware campaigns. Remediation deadline for US federal agencies: Jan 21, 2025.
- A ready-made attack module is public (Nuclei); exploiting it takes no special expertise.
- Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 94.1% (FIRST EPSS); higher than 99.8% of all records.
- Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it. No account or password is required. No user action is required. No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
- According to CISA the attack is automatable: targets can be found by mass scanning.
- According to the record, no fixed version is available yet.
Patch today or shut off access. Until a fix is released, restrict access to the affected component and follow the vendor's advisory.
Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it
Primary sources: NVD · CVE.org · CISA KEV · FIRST EPSS
An Authentication Bypass Using an Alternate Path or Channel vulnerability [CWE-288] affecting FortiOS version 7.0.0 through 7.0.16 and FortiProxy version 7.0.0 through 7.0.19 and 7.2.0 through 7.2.12 allows a remote attacker to gain super-admin privileges via crafted requests to Node.js websocket module.
- Published
- Jan 14, 2025
- Updated
- Aug 5, 2026
- EPSS
- 94.1% · 99th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-288
Report tools
Action score
97
Now
Patch today or shut off access.
- CVSS
- 39 / 40 · 9.8 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 30 / 30 · Listed
- EPSS
- 28 / 30 · 94.1%
CISA SSVC decision
- Exploitation
- active
- Automatable
- yes
- Technical impact
- total
Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.
CNA vs NVD score
- NVD
- 9.8
- CNA · fortinet
- 9.6
- 0.2 point gap
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:H/RL:O/RC:C
The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.
Actively exploited in the wild
CISA added this to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on Jan 14, 2025. That signals real attacks, not theory.
Remediation deadline for US federal agencies: Jan 21, 2025.
Known to be used in ransomware campaigns.
Get told when this record changes
- In CISA KEV: exploitation in the wild confirmed
- Weaponized exploit exists
- No fixed version yet
If any of these changes, we'll tell you in the daily email digest.
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Noroxi analysis
What does it mean in your environment?
The assessment above is generated automatically from the record's data; it doesn't know your environment. Our team verifies on your systems whether this vulnerability is actually exploitable and which mitigation is enough.
We use this product, ask for helpAffected systems
Is your version affected?
Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| fortinet | fortiproxy | cpe:2.3:a:fortinet:fortiproxy |
| fortinet | fortios | cpe:2.3:o:fortinet:fortios |
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- fortinet fortios7.0.0 and later · before 7.0.17
Versions reported by the vendor
Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (fortinet). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.
Fortinet FortiOS
- 7.0.0 and later · up to and including 7.0.16affected · semver
Fortinet FortiProxy
- 7.2.0 and later · up to and including 7.2.12affected · semver
- 7.0.0 and later · up to and including 7.0.19affected · semver
Same product
fortinet: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2022-40684An authentication bypass using an alternate path or channel [CWE-288] in Fortinet FortiOS version 7.2.0 through 7.2.1 and 7.0.0 through 7.0.KEV99Now
- CVE-2018-13379An Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ("Path Traversal") in Fortinet FortiOS 6.0.0 to 6.0.4, 5.6.3 to 5.6.7 and 5.4KEV99Now
- CVE-2023-27997A heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability [CWE-122] in FortiOS version 7.2.4 and below, version 7.0.11 and below, version 6.4.12 and below,KEV95Now
Published before and after this one in the same product
- ← EarlierCVE-2024-33510Nov 12, 2024 · An improper neutralization of special elements in output used by a downstream component ('Injection') vulnerability [CWE-74] in FortiOS vers17Monitor
- ← EarlierCVE-2024-54021Jan 14, 2025 · An Improper Neutralization of CRLF Sequences in HTTP Headers ('http response splitting') vulnerability [CWE-113] in Fortinet FortiOS 7.2.0 t23Monitor
- Later →CVE-2025-24472Feb 11, 2025 · An Authentication Bypass Using an Alternate Path or Channel vulnerability [CWE-288] affecting FortiOS 7.0.0 through 7.0.16 and FortiProxy 7.KEV64This week
Remediation
Which version to upgrade to
Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.
No fix version is recorded for this entry. Check the references for vendor advisories.
Exploit status
Weaponized
A ready exploit tool or active in-the-wild use is known for this vulnerability. This should be your top priority.
Evidence
- Nuclei detection template ×1
- Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub ×10
Noroxi does not host or link to exploit code. Metasploit module names and Nuclei template ids are shown (names, not code); Exploit-DB entries and PoC repositories are given as counts only.
| Source | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Nuclei detection template | Nuclei template CVE-2024-55591 | — |
| Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub | stars:65 | 2025-01-16 |
| Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub | stars:27 | 2025-01-21 |
| Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub | stars:3 | 2025-01-22 |
| Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub | stars:8 | 2025-01-24 |
| Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub | stars:76 | 2025-01-27 |
| Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub | stars:12 | 2025-01-29 |
| Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub | stars:0 | 2025-02-09 |
| Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub | stars:2 | 2025-05-26 |
| Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub | stars:1 | 2026-09-01 |
| Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub | stars:1 | 2026-10-01 |
Research context
For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.
Timeline
From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.
- CISA KEVsame day
- Published
- First PoC+2 d
- TodayOct 22, 2026+646 d
FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).
Patch and commit links
Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.
No commit or PR link among the references.
Credits
All researchersFinders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.
No credits in the CNA record.
Variant candidates
Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.
- CVE-2025-2447228 days apartAn Authentication Bypass Using an Alternate Path or Channel vulnerability [CWE-288] affecting FortiOS 7.0.0 through 7.0.16 and FortiProxy 7.KEV64This week
Chain candidates
An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.
—
Bug bounty scope
No known public program.
Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).
Technical details
Attack conditions
- Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it.
- No account or password is required.
- No user action is required.
- No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
If successful
- Confidentiality
- high · data can be read
- Integrity
- high · data or configuration can be modified
- Availability
- high · the service can be disrupted
- Attack vector
- Network
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality impact
- High
- Integrity impact
- High
- Availability impact
- High
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-288 · Authentication Bypass Using an Alternate Path or ChannelCVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
nvd-primary
Attack context
MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.
Attack patterns (CAPEC)
Change log
No changes recorded on tracked fields yet. Score, KEV, exploit maturity and fix status changes appear here.
References
Show all references (1 more)Show less
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.