# CVE-2022-40684: FortiOS - Authentication Bypass

> Live exploitation tracking for CVE-2022-40684 by the CrowdSec Live Exploit Tracker, built from real-world attack data crowdsourced from CrowdSec's global network.

Page: https://tracker.crowdsec.net/cves/CVE-2022-40684

## Key facts

- **Exploitation phase:** Background Noise. Continuous low-level scanning or exploitation attempts are observed, mostly opportunistic and automated.
- **CVSS score:** 9.8
- **Public exploit available:** Yes
- **Affected products:** Fortinet FortiOS, Fortinet FortiProxy, Fortinet FortiSwitchManager
- **Weaknesses:** CWE-288 (Authentication Bypass Using an Alternate Path or Channel)
- **Tags:** enterprise_software, firewall

## Description

An authentication bypass using an alternate path or channel [CWE-288] in Fortinet FortiOS version 7.2.0 through 7.2.1 and 7.0.0 through 7.0.6, FortiProxy version 7.2.0 and version 7.0.0 through 7.0.6 and FortiSwitchManager version 7.2.0 and 7.0.0 allows an unauthenticated atttacker to perform operations on the administrative interface via specially crafted HTTP or HTTPS requests.

## CrowdSec analysis

[CVE-2022-40684](https://euvd.enisa.europa.eu/vulnerability/CVE-2022-40684) is a critical vulnerability that affects multiple Fortinet products, allowing unauthenticated attackers to bypass authentication and interact directly with the administrative interface by sending specially crafted requests.

CrowdSec has been tracking this vulnerability and its exploits since 14th of October 2022.

CrowdSec network data shows that most actors exploiting CVE-2022-40684 rely on broad, untargeted scans with minimal filtering. The activity is largely automated and opportunistic in nature.
Telemetry from the CrowdSec network also shows that exploitation activity for CVE-2022-40684 remains steady week-over-week. Attack volumes are consistent with long-term trends, indicating sustained interest from threat actors. CVE-2022-40684 continues to be an active part of the threat landscape and will likely remain this way for the forseeable future.

Exploitation attempts are characterized by requests to paths beginning with `/api/v2/cmdb/system/admin`.

## Timeline

- 2022-10-11: CISA KEV. CVE-2022-40684 is added to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog by CISA.
- 2022-10-14: Rule Released. CrowdSec releases a rule to detect CVE-2022-40684 exploitation attempts against the CrowdSec Network.
- 2022-10-14: CrowdSec First Seen. CrowdSec observes in-the-wild exploitation of CVE-2022-40684 for the first time.
- 2022-10-18: CVE Published. CVE-2022-40684 is published to NVD.
- 2022-11-01: CISA Remediation Deadline. Expiration of the CISA remediation deadline as described in [BOD 22-01](https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/directives/bod-22-01-reducing-significant-risk-known-exploited-vulnerabilities).

## References

- https://github.com/projectdiscovery/nuclei-templates/blob/main/http/cves/2022/CVE-2022-40684.yaml

## Live exploitation data

The [Live Exploit Tracker page](https://tracker.crowdsec.net/cves/CVE-2022-40684) follows observed exploitation activity for CVE-2022-40684. [Request an API key](https://tracker.crowdsec.net/request-api-key) for full access to its exploitation timeline, attacking IP addresses and blocklists.