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ForticlientApplication · Fortinet

CVE-2023-45588

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-03-14
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 7.0.11 / 7.2.4 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 external control of file name or path vulnerability [CWE-73] in FortiClientMac version 7.2.3 and below, version 7.0.10 and below installer may allow a local attacker to execute arbitrary code or commands via writing a malicious configuration file in /tmp before starting the installation process.

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

A local attacker can place a malicious configuration file in the /tmp directory before initiating the FortiClientMac installer. The vulnerable installer (versions 7.2.3 and below, 7.0.10 and below) reads and executes this attacker-controlled configuration file, allowing arbitrary code or command execution with the privileges of the installer process.

MitigationUpgrade FortiClientMac to version 7.2.4 or higher (for the 7.2.x branch) or 7.0.11 or higher (for the 7.0.x branch). Alternatively, ensure only trusted users have local system access and monitor /tmp for suspicious files during software installation.

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:>= 7.0.6, < 7.0.11>= 7.2.0, < 7.2.4

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. Check if FortiClientMac is installed
    On macOS, run: ls /Applications | grep -i forticlient OR check System Settings > Privacy & Security > scroll to FortiClient
    Affected if FortiClientMac is present on the system
  2. Identify installed FortiClientMac version
    Run: defaults read /Applications/FortiClient.app/Contents/Info.plist CFBundleVersion OR right-click FortiClient.app > Get Info to view Version
    Affected if Version is >= 7.0.6 and < 7.0.11, OR >= 7.2.0 and < 7.2.4
  3. Inspect /tmp for suspicious configuration files
    Run: ls -la /tmp/ | grep -i forti OR ls -la /tmp/*.config 2>/dev/null to look for unexpected FortiClient-related config files placed by an attacker
    Affected if Unexpected FortiClient config files exist in /tmp that were not placed by the legitimate installer

You are affected if FortiClientMac version 7.0.6 through 7.0.10 or 7.2.0 through 7.2.3 is installed AND an untrusted local user could have placed a malicious config file in /tmp before installation.

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 7.0.11 / 7.2.4 or later
Fixed in 7.0.117.2.4
Interim mitigation

Upgrade FortiClientMac to version 7.2.4 or higher (for the 7.2.x branch) or 7.0.11 or higher (for the 7.0.x branch). Alternatively, ensure only trusted users have local system access and monitor /tmp for suspicious files during software installation.

Recommended fix High confidence

FortiClient 7.0.11 or later for 7.0.x users; FortiClient 7.2.4 or later for 7.2.x users

  1. 1. Determine current FortiClient version by opening FortiClient and navigating to Help > About or checking the application version.
  2. 2. If running version 7.0.6 through 7.0.10, upgrade to FortiClient version 7.0.11 or later.
  3. 3. If running version 7.2.0 through 7.2.3, upgrade to FortiClient version 7.2.4 or later.
  4. 4. Download the updated installer from the official Fortinet support portal or FortiGuard.
  5. 5. Before running the installer, verify the /tmp directory does not contain any unexpected or malicious configuration files.
  6. 6. Run the updated installer to complete the remediation.

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

Fix this in Forticlient Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing1.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
6.0 hours of engineering $1,090
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,744.

Scan for this in your stack

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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-2023-45588 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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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