CyberSecBulletin
CVE-2025-68686Exploited in the wildNVD status: Analyzed

Fortinet FortiOS Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor

Published Updated By the CyberSecBulletin desk

CVE-2025-68686 is a medium-severity exposure of sensitive information to an unauthorized actor vulnerability in FortiOS from Fortinet, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.9 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an unauthenticated attacker, without any action from a user. Affected FortiOS versions: 7.6.0 through 7.6.1; 7.4.0 through 7.4.6; 7.2.0 through 7.2.13, and others listed below. The record does not name a fixed version, so check the vendor advisory. CISA added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue on July 27, 2026, which means attacks have been observed in the wild.

Patch now

Attackers are already exploiting this vulnerability, according to CISA.

What to do

  1. Check which version of FortiOS you run against the affected versions below, and install the vendor's latest release.
  2. CISA's required action: Apply mitigations in accordance with vendor instructions, ensuring compliance with CISA’s BOD 26-04 Prioritizing Security Updates Based on Risk (see URL in Notes) guidance and CISA’s “Forensics Triage Requirements” (see URL in Notes). Follow applicable BOD 26-04 guidance for cloud services or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable. Stakeholders are responsible for evaluating each asset's internet exposure and ensuring adherence to BOD 26-04 patching guidelines.
  3. Read the advisory on fortiguard.fortinet.com for workarounds and exact fixed builds.
  4. Until you can update, restrict network access to the affected service so it is not reachable from untrusted networks.

Affected products and versions

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed in
FortinetFortiOS7.6.0 through 7.6.1; 7.4.0 through 7.4.6; 7.2.0 through 7.2.13; 7.0.0 through 7.0.19; 6.4.0 through 6.4.16Not stated

Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.

How the severity score breaks down

Attack vector
NetworkCan be exploited remotely over a network, including the internet.
Attack complexity
HighSuccess depends on conditions outside the attacker's control.
Privileges required
NoneNo account or login is needed.
User interaction
NoneNo action by a victim is required.
Scope
UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
Confidentiality
HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
Integrity
NoneNothing can be modified.
Availability
NoneAvailability is not affected.

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N. Scored by CNA (fortinet.com).

Official description

An Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor vulnerability [CWE-200] vulnerability in Fortinet FortiOS 7.6.0 through 7.6.1, FortiOS 7.4.0 through 7.4.6, FortiOS 7.2 all versions, FortiOS 7.0 all versions, FortiOS 6.4 all versions may allow a remote unauthenticated attacker to bypass the patch developed for the symbolic link persistency mechanism observed in some post-exploit cases, via crafted HTTP requests. An attacker would need first to have compromised the product via another vulnerability, at filesystem level.

Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.

The underlying weakness: Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor

The product exposes sensitive information to an actor that is not explicitly authorized to have access to that information.

How developers prevent this class of flaw

  • Compartmentalize the system to have safe areas where trust boundaries can be unambiguously drawn. Do not allow sensitive data to go outside of the trust boundary and always be careful when interfacing with a compartment outside of the safe area. Ensure that appropriate compartmentalization is built into the system design, and the compartmentalization allows for and reinforces privilege separation functionality. Architects and designers should rely on the principle of least privilege to decide the appropriate time to use privileges and the time to drop privileges.

More Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor vulnerabilities (CWE-200)

Timeline

  1. CVE record published.
  2. CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: active, automatable: no, technical impact: partial).
  3. Added to CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue.
  4. Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
  5. Deadline for US federal agencies to remediate, set by CISA.

References

Third-party and government advisories

Other vulnerabilities in FortiOS

All FortiOS vulnerabilities

Recent Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor vulnerabilities

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