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FortimailApplication · Fortinet

CVE-2025-53681

HIGH · 7.2 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-05-12
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 7.2.9 / 7.4.6 or later.
See remediation →
78/100
Remediation priority · High
Remotely reachable 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 neutralization of special elements used in an SQL Command ("SQL Injection&") vulnerability [CWE-89] vulnerability in Fortinet FortiMail 7.6.0 through 7.6.3, FortiMail 7.4.0 through 7.4.5, FortiMail 7.2.0 through 7.2.8 allows an authenticated privileged attacker to execute unauthorized code or commands via specifically 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

SQL Injection vulnerability in FortiMail's web interface allows authenticated privileged attackers to execute arbitrary code or commands via crafted HTTP/HTTPS requests. The flaw exists in FortiMail versions 7.2.0-7.2.8, 7.4.0-7.4.5, and 7.6.0-7.6.3, stemming from improper neutralization of special SQL elements in user-supplied input.

MitigationApply the vendor-supplied FortiMail firmware patch to upgrade to a supported version (7.6.4, 7.4.6, or 7.2.9 and later). Restrict web UI access to trusted administrative IPs via firewall rules or geo-blocking until patched.

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
FortimailApplication
Affected:>= 7.2.0, < 7.2.9>= 7.4.0, < 7.4.6>= 7.6.0, < 7.6.4

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

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/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 FortiMail firmware version
    Run 'get system status' via CLI or check the web UI dashboard for the firmware version displayed under system information
    Affected if The installed version falls within 7.2.0-7.2.8, 7.4.0-7.4.5, or 7.6.0-7.6.3, indicating the unpatched versions vulnerable to SQL injection
  2. Verify web UI service is enabled
    Run 'get system interface' or check web UI settings via the administrative web console to confirm the HTTPS/HTTP service is active on the management interface
    Affected if The web interface service is enabled and accessible, as the SQL injection vulnerability exists in this component
  3. Confirm administrative access controls
    Review user accounts with web UI access using 'get admin user' or through the web UI under System > Administrators to identify privileged accounts
    Affected if There are privileged administrative accounts with web UI access, which is required for an authenticated attacker to exploit this SQL injection flaw
  4. Check web UI listening addresses
    Run 'diagnose system webui list' or examine the interface binding configuration to see which IP addresses the web UI service listens on
    Affected if The web UI is bound to unauthenticated or overly permissive network interfaces (such as 0.0.0.0 on external-facing interfaces), increasing exposure to potential attackers

A user is affected if FortiMail is running version 7.2.0-7.2.8, 7.4.0-7.4.5, or 7.6.0-7.6.3 AND the web interface is enabled with privileged administrative accounts accessible to untrusted users.

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 7.2.9 / 7.4.6 / 7.6.4 or later
Fixed in 7.2.97.4.67.6.4
Interim mitigation

Apply the vendor-supplied FortiMail firmware patch to upgrade to a supported version (7.6.4, 7.4.6, or 7.2.9 and later). Restrict web UI access to trusted administrative IPs via firewall rules or geo-blocking until patched.

Recommended fix High confidence

FortiMail 7.2.9 (for 7.2.x branch), 7.4.6 (for 7.4.x branch), or 7.6.4 (for 7.6.x branch)

  1. Identify the current FortiMail version by logging into the web UI or running 'get system status' in the CLI
  2. Determine which version branch your current installation is on (7.2.x, 7.4.x, or 7.6.x)
  3. Back up the FortiMail configuration using the web UI (System > Maintenance > Backup & Restore) or CLI 'execute backup config tftp'
  4. Download the appropriate firmware for your version branch from Fortinet support portal: 7.2.9 for 7.2.x, 7.4.6 for 7.4.x, or 7.6.4 for 7.6.x
  5. Upload and install the new firmware via System > Maintenance > Firmware in the web UI, or 'execute firmware upgrade' in CLI
  6. After reboot, verify the new version is running with 'get system status'
  7. Confirm the SQL injection vulnerability is resolved by verifying the fixed version is running
Caveat Review Fortinet release notes for any configuration or behavioral changes between your current version and the target fixed version before upgrading

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

Fix this in Fortimail Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
15.0 hours of engineering $2,640
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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-2025-53681 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