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ForticlientApplication · Fortinet

CVE-2025-47761

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-11-18
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 7.2.10 / 7.4.4 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 Exposed IOCTL with Insufficient Access Control vulnerability [CWE-782] vulnerability in Fortinet FortiClientWindows 7.4.0 through 7.4.3, FortiClientWindows 7.2.0 through 7.2.9 may allow an authenticated local user to execute unauthorized code via fortips driver. Success of the attack would require bypassing the Windows memory protections such as Heap integrity and HSP. In addition, it requires a valid and running VPN IPSec connection.

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

This is a local privilege escalation vulnerability in the fortips driver of FortiClientWindows. An authenticated local user can send IOCTL requests to the driver that lack proper access control checks (CWE-782), potentially allowing execution of unauthorized code. Successful exploitation requires an active VPN IPSec connection and bypassing Windows memory protections (Heap integrity and HSP).

MitigationUpgrade to Fortinet FortiClientWindows version 7.4.4 or later (or the latest patched version for 7.2). Ensure VPN IPSec connections are only established in trusted environments and monitor for suspicious local processes.

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:>= 7.2.0, < 7.2.10>= 7.4.0, < 7.4.4

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
High
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Changed
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/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. Check installed FortiClient version
    Open Windows Control Panel > Programs and Features, or run 'wmic product get name,version' and look for FortiClient. Alternatively, check C:\Program Files\Fortinet\FortiClient\ folder for version info.
    Affected if Version is >= 7.2.0 and < 7.2.10, OR >= 7.4.0 and < 7.4.4
  2. Verify fortips driver presence
    Open Device Manager and look under 'System devices' for 'fortips' driver, or run 'sc query fortips' from an elevated command prompt.
    Affected if The fortips driver is installed or present on the system
  3. Check for active IPSec VPN connections
    Open FortiClient GUI and check the VPN status panel, or run 'ipconfig /all' and look for active VPN interface IPs. Also check FortiClient logs in %ProgramData%\Fortinet\FortiClient\logs\ for active IPSec sessions.
    Affected if An active IPSec VPN connection is currently established
  4. Confirm local user authentication context
    Verify that a local user account is currently logged in and authenticated to the Windows system. This is required for exploitation.
    Affected if A local authenticated user session exists on the machine

The system is affected if FortiClient version is within the vulnerable ranges (7.2.0-7.2.9 or 7.4.0-7.4.3) AND the fortips driver is present AND an active IPSec VPN connection is established with a local authenticated user present.

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 7.2.10 / 7.4.4 or later
Fixed in 7.2.107.4.4
Interim mitigation

Upgrade to Fortinet FortiClientWindows version 7.4.4 or later (or the latest patched version for 7.2). Ensure VPN IPSec connections are only established in trusted environments and monitor for suspicious local processes.

Recommended fix High confidence

FortiClient Windows 7.2.10 or 7.4.4

  1. 1. Check the current FortiClient Windows version by opening FortiClient and navigating to Help > About
  2. 2. If running version 7.2.0-7.2.9, plan upgrade to version 7.2.10 or later
  3. 3. If running version 7.4.0-7.4.3, plan upgrade to version 7.4.4 or later
  4. 4. Backup any existing FortiClient configuration or VPN profiles if possible
  5. 5. Download the appropriate FortiClient installer from the Fortinet Customer Support portal (https://support.fortinet.com)
  6. 6. Uninstall the current FortiClient version via Windows Programs and Features
  7. 7. Install the new FortiClient version (7.2.10 or 7.4.4)
  8. 8. Reconfigure VPN IPSec connections after upgrade
Caveat Minor: Reconfiguration of VPN profiles may be needed after upgrade; test VPN connectivity thoroughly before production use

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

Fix this in Forticlient Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
14.0 hours of engineering $2,440
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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-2025-47761 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