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ForticlientApplication · Fortinet

CVE-2022-40682

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-04-11
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 7.0.8 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
A incorrect authorization in Fortinet FortiClient (Windows) 7.0.0 - 7.0.7, 6.4.0 - 6.4.9, 6.2.0 - 6.2.9 and 6.0.0 - 6.0.10 allows an attacker to execute unauthorized code or commands via sending a crafted request to a specific named pipe.

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

FortiClient Windows contains an incorrect authorization vulnerability allowing attackers to send crafted requests to a specific named pipe and execute unauthorized code or commands. The flaw exists in how the client validates authorization for named pipe communications.

MitigationUpdate FortiClient to the latest patched version (7.0.8+, 6.4.10+, 6.2.10+, or 6.0.11+ depending on your release branch). Apply vendor-supplied patches as soon as available through Fortinet's support portal.

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, <= 6.0.10>= 6.2.0, <= 6.2.9>= 6.4.0, <= 6.4.9>= 7.0.0, < 7.0.8

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. Verify FortiClient is installed on the Windows system
    Check for FortiClient installation by inspecting the registry key at HKLM\SOFTWARE\Fortinet\FortiClient or by looking in C:\Program Files\Fortinet\FortiClient for the executable. You can also use 'Get-WmiObject Win32_Product' or check Add/Remove Programs.
    Affected if FortiClient is present on the system with a version matching the affected ranges.
  2. Identify the installed FortiClient version
    Right-click the FortiClient tray icon and select 'About' or use the command line: 'C:\Program Files\Fortinet\FortiClient\FortiClient.exe' -version. Alternatively, check the registry value at HKLM\SOFTWARE\Fortinet\FortiClient\Version.
    Affected if The version falls within any of these ranges: 6.0.0 to 6.0.10, 6.2.0 to 6.2.9, 6.4.0 to 6.4.9, or 7.0.0 to 7.0.7.
  3. Confirm the FortiClient service is running
    Open Services (services.msc) and verify that the FortiClient Service (or FortiClient Endpoint Control Service) is in a Running state, or use the command 'sc query FortiClient' to check service status.
    Affected if The FortiClient service is actively running, as the vulnerability requires the named pipe communication to be operational.
  4. Inspect named pipe endpoints exposed by FortiClient
    Use a tool like PipeList from Sysinternals (pipelist.exe /accepteula) or PowerShell (Get-Process | Where-Object {$_.ProcessName -like '*FortiClient*'}) to examine named pipe instances. The vulnerability involves a specific named pipe used for inter-process communication.
    Affected if FortiClient exposes named pipe endpoints that accept unauthenticated or improperly authorized requests.

If FortiClient version is 6.0.0-6.0.10, 6.2.0-6.2.9, 6.4.0-6.4.9, or 7.0.0-7.0.7 and the service is running, the system is affected by this vulnerability.

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 7.0.8 or later
Fixed in 7.0.8
Interim mitigation

Update FortiClient to the latest patched version (7.0.8+, 6.4.10+, 6.2.10+, or 6.0.11+ depending on your release branch). Apply vendor-supplied patches as soon as available through Fortinet's support portal.

Recommended fix High confidence

FortiClient 7.0.8 or later (7.0.x); FortiClient 6.4.10 or later (6.4.x); FortiClient 6.2.10 or later (6.2.x); FortiClient 6.0.11 or later (6.0.x)

  1. 1. Verify current FortiClient version by opening the application and checking Help > About
  2. 2. Download the appropriate fixed version from Fortinet's official download portal (https://support.fortinet.com/)
  3. 3. Ensure any active VPN or endpoint protection connections are properly disconnected
  4. 4. Run the installer with administrator privileges
  5. 5. Follow the on-screen installation prompts to complete the upgrade
  6. 6. Restart the system if prompted by the installer
  7. 7. Verify the new version is installed by checking Help > About in FortiClient
Caveat Minor version upgrades typically preserve configuration; however, test in a non-production environment first to ensure compatibility with your VPN/infrastructure

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

Fix this in Forticlient Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation1.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
6.0 hours of engineering $1,040
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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-2022-40682 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