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ForticlientemsApplication · Fortinet

CVE-2024-23106

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-01-14
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 7.0.11 / 7.2.5 or later.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges 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 improper restriction of excessive authentication attempts [CWE-307] in FortiClientEMS version 7.2.0 through 7.2.4 and before 7.0.10 allows an unauthenticated attacker to try a brute force attack against the FortiClientEMS console via crafted HTTP or HTTPS requests.

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

FortiClientEMS versions 7.2.0-7.2.4 and before 7.0.10 lack proper rate limiting on the web console login page, allowing unauthenticated attackers to conduct unlimited brute force attempts via crafted HTTP/HTTPS requests. This enables attackers to systematically guess credentials until they successfully authenticate, potentially gaining full administrative access to the EMS server.

MitigationApply vendor-supplied patches (7.2.5 or 7.0.10 and later) to implement account lockout and rate limiting. As an interim measure, restrict source IP access to the management interface via firewall rules or VPN.

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
ForticlientemsApplication
Affected:>= 6.2.0, <= 6.2.9>= 6.4.0, <= 6.4.9>= 7.0.0, < 7.0.11>= 7.2.0, < 7.2.5

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
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/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. Identify FortiClientEMS installation and version
    On the EMS server, check the installed version via the system dashboard in the web UI, or run 'flxsp --version' or check the FortiClientEMS service info through Windows Services or Linux service commands depending on the OS. Alternatively, check the installation directory for version information files.
    Affected if The installed version falls within any of these ranges: 6.2.0-6.2.9, 6.4.0-6.4.9, 7.0.0-7.0.10, or 7.2.0-7.2.4.
  2. Verify the web console is accessible
    Confirm that the FortiClientEMS web interface (typically ports 80/443 or custom HTTPS port) is reachable from network segments. Check if the EMS service is running and the web server is listening.
    Affected if The web console is exposed and reachable from any network where untrusted users could send HTTP/HTTPS requests.
  3. Check for rate limiting or account lockout configuration
    Log into the FortiClientEMS admin console and navigate to System Settings > Administrator Settings or Security Settings. Look for options related to 'Account Lockout', 'Login Attempt Limit', 'Rate Limiting', or 'Failed Login Threshold'. Note whether any restrictions are configured.
    Affected if No rate limiting or account lockout policy is configured, or the threshold is set to unlimited/unrestricted.
  4. Review authentication logs for brute force patterns
    Access the FortiClientEMS logs via the web UI (System Settings > Logs) or the log files on the server. Search for repeated failed login attempts from the same IP address or multiple usernames, which would indicate active brute force activity.
    Affected if Logs show numerous failed login attempts from a single source or pattern of systematic credential guessing without account lockout triggering.

You are affected if FortiClientEMS is installed with a version in the vulnerable ranges and the web console login page is network-accessible without effective rate limiting or account lockout controls.

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 / 7.2.5 or later
Fixed in 7.0.117.2.5
Interim mitigation

Apply vendor-supplied patches (7.2.5 or 7.0.10 and later) to implement account lockout and rate limiting. As an interim measure, restrict source IP access to the management interface via firewall rules or VPN.

Recommended fix High confidence

FortiClientEMS 7.0.11 or later, or 7.2.5 or later (6.2.x and 6.4.x should migrate to 7.0.11+/7.2.5+)

  1. 1. Identify the current FortiClientEMS version by checking the EMS console or using the CLI command 'get system status'
  2. 2. For FortiClientEMS 7.0.x deployments: Upgrade to version 7.0.11 or later
  3. 3. For FortiClientEMS 7.2.x deployments: Upgrade to version 7.2.5 or later
  4. 4. For FortiClientEMS 6.2.x and 6.4.x: These versions are end-of-life; upgrade to a supported version (7.0.11+ or 7.2.5+)
  5. 5. After upgrading, verify the installation by checking the system version
  6. 6. Review the FortiClientEMS logs for any signs of brute force attempts and ensure the authentication mechanism is functioning correctly
Caveat Review Fortinet release notes for any configuration or feature changes between versions; older 6.x versions may have compatibility considerations when migrating to 7.x

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

Fix this in Forticlientems Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
13.0 hours of engineering $2,290
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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-2024-23106 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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