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ForticlientApplication · Fortinet

CVE-2020-15934

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-12-19
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 6.2.8 or later.
See remediation →
80/100
Remediation priority · High
Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
An execution with unnecessary privileges vulnerability in the VCM engine of FortiClient for Linux versions 6.2.7 and below, version 6.4.0. may allow local users to elevate their privileges to root by creating a malicious script or program on the target machine.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

Local privilege escalation vulnerability in FortiClient for Linux's VCM (Virus Content Manager) engine allows unprivileged local users to execute malicious scripts/programs with root privileges. The VCM engine improperly handles script execution, permitting a low-privileged local user to inject and run code at elevated privilege level.

MitigationUpgrade FortiClient for Linux to a patched version beyond 6.4.0/6.2.7. As a defensive measure, restrict local user access and monitor for unauthorized script creation in FortiClient directories.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
ForticlientApplication
Affected:>= 6.0.0, < 6.2.8= 6.4.0

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Confirm FortiClient for Linux is installed
    Run 'dpkg -l | grep forticlient' or 'rpm -qa | grep -i forticlient' to list installed FortiClient packages
    Affected if No FortiClient package is found, then this CVE does not apply
  2. Identify the installed FortiClient version
    Run 'dpkg -l | grep forticlient' or check /opt/forticlient/ for version files. Compare the version number against the affected ranges: >= 6.0.0 and < 6.2.8, or exactly 6.4.0
    Affected if The installed version falls within 6.0.0 to 6.2.7 inclusive, or is exactly 6.4.0
  3. Verify the VCM (Virus Content Manager) engine component is present
    Check for VCM-related files or processes: look in /opt/forticlient/ for vcm or virus content manager components, and run 'ps aux | grep -i vcm' to check for running VCM processes
    Affected if VCM component is installed and running - the vulnerability only applies when VCM is present in the deployment
  4. Inspect FortiClient directory permissions and script files
    List permissions on /opt/forticlient/ and subdirectories with 'ls -la /opt/forticlient/'. Check for any unexpected or newly created script files in these directories that could indicate exploitation attempts
    Affected if Non-root users have write access to FortiClient directories containing executable scripts, or suspicious scripts exist in these locations

You are affected if FortiClient for Linux is installed with a version between 6.0.0 and 6.2.7 inclusive, or exactly version 6.4.0, AND the VCM engine component is present on the system.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 6.2.8 or later
Fixed in 6.2.8
Interim mitigation

Upgrade FortiClient for Linux to a patched version beyond 6.4.0/6.2.7. As a defensive measure, restrict local user access and monitor for unauthorized script creation in FortiClient directories.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

FortiClient for Linux 6.2.8 or later (6.2.x branch), or 6.4.1 or later (6.4.x branch)

  1. 1. Identify the current FortiClient for Linux version by running: forticlient --version or checking the installed package
  2. 2. Download the fixed version from Fortinet's official support portal at https://support.fortinet.com/
  3. 3. For version 6.2.x branch: Upgrade to FortiClient for Linux version 6.2.8 or later
  4. 4. For version 6.4.x branch: Upgrade to FortiClient for Linux version 6.4.1 or later (since version 6.4.0 is vulnerable)
  5. 5. Verify the upgrade was successful by checking: forticlient --version
  6. 6. Ensure the VCM engine service runs with reduced privileges by reviewing the service configuration
Caveat Review Fortinet release notes for any compatibility changes between version 6.2.x and 6.4.x branches before upgrading across branches

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Forticlient Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
11.0 hours of engineering $1,930
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2020-15934 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data