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ForticlientApplication · Fortinet

CVE-2024-36513

HIGH · 8.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-11-12
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 7.0.13 / 7.2.5 or later.
See remediation →
90/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
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 privilege context switching error vulnerability [CWE-270] in FortiClient Windows version 7.2.4 and below, version 7.0.12 and below, 6.4 all versions may allow an authenticated user to escalate their privileges via lua auto patch scripts.

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 privilege escalation vulnerability in FortiClient Windows allows authenticated users to gain elevated privileges through lua auto patch scripts. The vulnerability stems from improper privilege context switching (CWE-270) in versions 7.2.4 and below, 7.0.12 and below, and 6.4.

MitigationUpgrade FortiClient Windows to version 7.2.5, 7.0.13, or later to remediate the vulnerability.

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:>= 6.4.0, <= 6.4.10>= 7.0.0, < 7.0.13>= 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
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Changed
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/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 installed FortiClient version
    Open FortiClient from the system tray or Start menu, then navigate to Settings > About to view the version number. Alternatively, open Programs and Features in Control Panel and locate FortiClient in the list to see the installed version.
    Affected if The installed version falls within 6.4.0 to 6.4.10, 7.0.0 to 7.0.12, or 7.2.0 to 7.2.4.
  2. Verify user authentication context
    Confirm that the current user has authenticated local or domain credentials on the Windows system where FortiClient is installed. This vulnerability requires an authenticated user session to exploit.
    Affected if The user has valid authentication credentials on the system.
  3. Check for lua auto patch script configuration
    Examine FortiClient configuration settings related to auto patch or script execution. Look in FortiClient settings for any enabled auto-update or patch automation features that utilize lua scripts.
    Affected if Auto patch or automated script features are enabled in FortiClient configuration.
  4. Review FortiClient process privileges
    Observe the FortiClient service or process running on the system to understand its privilege level. Check if it runs with elevated privileges compared to standard user processes.
    Affected if FortiClient runs with elevated privileges that could be leveraged for privilege escalation.

A user is affected if FortiClient Windows is installed at version 6.4.x, 7.0.x through 7.0.12, or 7.2.x through 7.2.4, and the user has authenticated access to the system with the auto-patch lua script feature potentially enabled.

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 7.0.13 / 7.2.5 or later
Fixed in 7.0.137.2.5
Interim mitigation

Upgrade FortiClient Windows to version 7.2.5, 7.0.13, or later to remediate the vulnerability.

Recommended fix High confidence

FortiClient 7.2.5+, 7.0.13+, or 6.4.11+ (depending on your current major version branch)

  1. Identify the currently installed FortiClient version from Help > About FortiClient
  2. For FortiClient 7.2.x: Upgrade to version 7.2.5 or later from Fortinet customer support portal or FortiClient download center
  3. For FortiClient 7.0.x: Upgrade to version 7.0.13 or later from Fortinet customer support portal or FortiClient download center
  4. For FortiClient 6.4.x: Upgrade to version 6.4.11 or later from Fortinet customer support portal or FortiClient download center
  5. Verify the upgrade was successful by checking Help > About FortiClient shows a patched version
  6. Ensure the FortiClient XML configuration file is reviewed for any custom lua scripts that could be exploited
Caveat Upgrading FortiClient across major version branches (e.g., 6.4 to 7.0) may require reconfiguration of VPN profiles, EMS connection settings, or endpoint policy settings; test in non-production environment first

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
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
9.0 hours of engineering $1,600
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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-2024-36513 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