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ForticlientApplication · Fortinet

CVE-2024-31492

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-04-10
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

The FortiClientMac installer version 7.2.3 and below, and 7.0.10 and below, reads configuration files from the /tmp directory without proper validation or sanitization. A local attacker with unprivileged access can place a malicious configuration file in /tmp before initiating the installer, which will be parsed and executed with elevated (root) privileges during the installation process, allowing arbitrary code execution.

MitigationUpdate FortiClientMac to version 7.2.4 (or later 7.2.x) or version 7.0.11 (or later 7.0.x) to obtain the patched installer. As a workaround, ensure the system is free of untrusted local users during installation and verify installer package integrity before execution.

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 installed FortiClientMac version
    Run 'ls /Applications/ | grep -i forti' to locate the FortiClient app, then get version via 'pkgutil --pkg-info=FortiClient' or by inspecting the app bundle: 'defaults read /Applications/FortiClient.app/Contents/Info.plist CFBundleVersion'
    Affected if The installed version falls within 7.0.6 to 7.0.10 (inclusive) OR 7.2.0 to 7.2.3 (inclusive)
  2. Identify FortiClientMac installer version used
    Check installer logs or receipts in /var/db/receipts for the installer package version: 'ls /var/db/receipts | grep -i forti' and then 'ls -la /var/db/receipts/*.bom' to examine receipt contents
    Affected if The installer version used was 7.2.3 or below, or 7.0.10 or below, and installation was performed on a system where untrusted local users could write to /tmp
  3. Verify /tmp directory permissions
    Run 'ls -ld /tmp' and check if the directory is world-writable (drwxrwxrwt). Also check for sticky bit: 'ls -ld /tmp | grep t$'
    Affected if The /tmp directory allows untrusted local users to create files (world-writable without restricted permissions) - this enables the attack vector during installation

A user is affected if FortiClientMac version 7.0.6 through 7.0.10 or 7.2.0 through 7.2.3 is currently installed, or if an installer in these version ranges was previously run on a system where untrusted local users could write to /tmp.

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

Update FortiClientMac to version 7.2.4 (or later 7.2.x) or version 7.0.11 (or later 7.0.x) to obtain the patched installer. As a workaround, ensure the system is free of untrusted local users during installation and verify installer package integrity before execution.

Recommended fix High confidence

FortiClient 7.0.11 or later (for 7.0.x users), or FortiClient 7.2.4 or later (for 7.2.x users)

  1. Verify current FortiClient version by opening FortiClient and checking About or Help > About
  2. Download the updated FortiClient installer (version 7.0.11 or later for 7.0.x line, or 7.2.4 or later for 7.2.x line) from the official Fortinet support portal or FortiGuard
  3. Close any running instances of FortiClient
  4. Run the downloaded installer with appropriate administrator privileges
  5. Follow the on-screen installation prompts to complete the upgrade
  6. After installation, verify the version by checking FortiClient > About to confirm the installed version is 7.0.11+ or 7.2.4+

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

Fix this in Forticlient Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
14.0 hours of engineering $2,490
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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-2024-31492 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