CVE-2022-40684
Fortinet FortiOS / FortiProxy (FortiGate) · Firewalls, VPNs and remote access
Fortinet Multiple Products Authentication Bypass Vulnerability
At a glance
Exploited. Added to CISA’s catalog of exploited vulnerabilities on October 11, 2022.
Used in ransomware attacks, according to CISA.
Affected product: Fortinet FortiOS / FortiProxy (FortiGate) (category Firewalls, VPNs and remote access, indicative classification). Name in CISA’s catalog: Fortinet Multiple Products.
What should I do?
Apply the security update from Fortinet.
Deadline set by CISA for US federal agencies: 21 days (due November 1, 2022). It only binds those agencies, but it is a useful measure of urgency.
- Fortinet security advisories page (general page, not the advisory for this vulnerability)
- The vendor’s specific advisory is listed in the NVD references: CVE-2022-40684 on the NVD website.
Original text of the required action (CISA)
Apply updates per vendor instructions.
Timeline
- Exploitation confirmed Added to CISA’s KEV catalog
- Vulnerability published Publication date (NVD)
- CISA deadline Remediation deadline set for US federal agencies
The facts, with their sources
- Exploitation confirmed
- Yes, on October 11, 2022 Date added to the catalog of exploited vulnerabilities. Exploitation itself may have started earlier. Source: KEV catalog, collected September 29, 2026 at 14:57 UTC
- Ransomware
- Known use Source: KEV catalog, collected September 29, 2026 at 14:57 UTC
- Hunt for compromise
- Not requested by CISA Source: KEV catalog, collected September 29, 2026 at 14:57 UTC
- CISA required action
- Apply the security update from Fortinet. Rewritten by this site from CISA’s original text. Source: KEV catalog, collected September 29, 2026 at 14:57 UTC
- CISA deadline
- November 1, 2022, 21 days Set for US federal agencies: a measure of urgency, not an obligation elsewhere. Source: KEV catalog, collected September 29, 2026 at 14:57 UTC
- Vulnerability published
- October 18, 2022 Source: National Vulnerability Database (NVD), collected September 29, 2026 at 15:00 UTC
- Product according to CISA
- Fortinet Multiple Products Filed by this site under “Firewalls, VPNs and remote access” (indicative classification). Source: KEV catalog, collected September 29, 2026 at 14:57 UTC
- CVSS vector
- CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H Technical detail of the score: attack vector, complexity, impact. Source: National Vulnerability Database (NVD), collected September 29, 2026 at 15:00 UTC
Severity and activity
FIRST’s EPSS model. Since exploitation is already confirmed, this figure is mostly useful to compare activity. Collected Sep 29, 2026.
Description
An 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 7.0.6, FortiProxy version 7.2.0 and version 7.0.0 through 7.0.6 and FortiSwitchManager version 7.2.0 and 7.0.0 allows an unauthenticated atttacker to perform operations on the administrative interface via specially crafted HTTP or HTTPS requests.
Official description from the NVD, collected Sep 29, 2026. CVE® description © The MITRE Corporation.
Fortinet FortiOS, FortiProxy, and FortiSwitchManager contain an authentication bypass vulnerability that could allow an unauthenticated attacker to perform operations on the administrative interface via specially crafted HTTP or HTTPS requests.
Summary from CISA (KEV catalog).
CERT-FR advisories
No advisory among the latest CERT-FR publications this site follows. That does not mean there are none.
Information reused under the Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab); the date of last update is shown for each advisory. This site is neither affiliated with nor endorsed by ANSSI.
Sources for this page
- CISA KEV catalog: exploitation, date added, required action, deadline, ransomware.
- NVD (NIST): CVSS severity, publication date, description, vendor references.
- EPSS (FIRST): probability of exploitation.
- CERT-FR: advisories and alerts (in French).
- Brand and category: indicative classification by this site (method).