BlackTreeCVE Intelligence
← Back to the CVE catalogue
Full vulnerability report · 2020
CVE-2020-9290High confidence

A untrusted search path vulnerability in Fortinet may allow attacker to execute unauthorized code or commands via network exploitable

Fortinet · FortiClientWindows

Official source article: Fortinet FG-IR-19-060 ↗. Check the applicable product and release in the original source.

7.1HighCVSS 3.1
Recommended action
Within 7 days

High technical severity; prioritise exposed affected systems while verifying vendor guidance.

Patch available
R
Operational reassessment

Published severity in operational context

Open reassessment dashboard →
Published severityHighOperational priority:High, unchanged from published severity.unchanged

Evidence used

  • No CISA KEV confirmation is currently recorded.
  • The selected CVSS metric records a network-reachable, unauthenticated path with no user interaction.
  • EPSS is 0.86% for the current model date.

Compensating controls

  • Validate the affected product branch and deploy the verified fixed release.
  • Restrict the affected network interface to trusted sources where business-safe.
  • Monitor vendor guidance and exploitation sources for a material change.

Verification

  1. Confirm that the asset runs Fortinet FortiClientWindows and falls inside the recorded affected range.
  2. Verify the installed build against the product-specific fixed version after deployment.
  3. Validate exposure, authentication requirements and compensating controls in the actual environment.
  4. Reopen this reassessment when CVSS, KEV, EPSS, exploit evidence or remediation changes.
Mitigation target: Within 30 daysRemediation target: Within 180 days

This automated reassessment organises public evidence. It does not know asset exposure, business impact or control effectiveness and does not replace CVSS or a human risk decision.

Optional official sources

National CERT insights
?CERT means Computer Emergency Response Team; CSIRT is the closely related term Computer Security Incident Response Team.

Choose official national sources for this report. Each advisory shows its original language. Your selection is remembered on this device and included in shared links.

Official European source

ENISA European Vulnerability Database

Official EUVD identifiers, advisory evidence and known-exploited context. Missing fields are not treated as evidence of low risk.

1 current
ENISA EUVD identifier

EUVD-2020-30116

No EUVD known-exploited evidence

A untrusted search path vulnerability in Fortinet may allow attacker to execute unauthorized code or commands via network exploitable

EUVD state
Present in the current official mapping
Known exploitation
Not present in the current ENISA EUVD known-exploited dataset. This is not proof of no exploitation.
ENISA score
7.1 · CVSS 3.1
Advisory evidence
No linked advisory details stored yet
Recommended actionWithin 7 days

High technical severity; prioritise exposed affected systems while verifying vendor guidance.

Patch available
01

What, why and how

A untrusted search path vulnerability in Fortinet may allow attacker to execute unauthorized code or commands via network exploitable

What

A untrusted search path vulnerability in Fortinet may allow attacker to execute unauthorized code or commands via network exploitable

Why

The product searches for critical resources using an externally-supplied search path that can point to resources that are not under the product's direct control.

How

An attacker operating through a network path may attempt exploitation without authentication or user interaction. If successful, the issue may cause the confidentiality, integrity or availability impact described by the vendor.

What

A untrusted search path vulnerability in Fortinet may allow attacker to execute unauthorized code or commands via network exploitable

Why

The product searches for critical resources using an externally-supplied search path that can point to resources that are not under the product's direct control.

How

An attacker operating through a network path may attempt exploitation without authentication or user interaction. If successful, the issue may cause the confidentiality, integrity or availability impact described by the vendor.

02

Exploit reality and attack path

CVSS severity, EPSS forecast probability, public exploit material and CISA-confirmed exploitation are separate signals.

Observed exploitation
?Confirmed exploitation and public exploit material are separate signals. Attacks can occur without public proof-of-concept or exploit code.
No confirmed evidence

No CISA KEV match was present at the last successful refresh. This means no confirmation from that source, not proof of no exploitation.

Public PoC / exploit material
?Confirmed exploitation and public exploit material are separate signals. Attacks can occur without public proof-of-concept or exploit code.
None recorded

No exploit-tagged reference or CISA SSVC proof-of-concept state is currently recorded. Research may still exist outside the structured feeds.

Likely attack path
a network path → Untrusted Search Path → cause the confidentiality, integrity or availability impact described by the vendor
Attack surface
Network
Privileges required
None: unauthenticated exploitation is possible
User interaction
None
Attack complexity
Low: no specialised conditions are recorded
Security boundary
Unchanged: impact remains within the vulnerable component's security authority
Weakness
?CWE means Common Weakness Enumeration: a standard category for the underlying weakness.
CWE-426 ↗

CWE-426: Untrusted Search Path. The product searches for critical resources using an externally-supplied search path that can point to resources that are not under the product's direct control.

CVSS vector
?CVSS means Common Vulnerability Scoring System. The vector records the metric values used to calculate technical severity.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L/E:F/RL:O/RC:X

Common Vulnerability Scoring System 3.1: the compact vector below is decoded into plain language.

AVNetworkAttack vector: The vulnerable component can be reached over a network.ACLowAttack complexity: No specialised conditions are required beyond attacker-controlled input.PRNonePrivileges required: The attacker does not need an account or existing privileges.UINoneUser interaction: No action by another user is required.SUnchangedScope: The security impact remains within the vulnerable component's authority.CLowConfidentiality impact: A successful attack can cause a limited loss.ILowIntegrity impact: A successful attack can cause a limited loss.ALowAvailability impact: A successful attack can cause a limited loss.
Post-exploitation / living off the land
No specific living-off-the-land technique is confirmed in the structured sources. Monitor normal administration tools for activity inconsistent with the affected service's baseline.
NetworkUnauthenticatedCWE-426
A

Official authority intelligence

Only matched European and national findings are included. Language selectors and unavailable sources are omitted.

ENISA EUVD · EUVD-2020-30116Official EUVD mapping

A untrusted search path vulnerability in Fortinet may allow attacker to execute unauthorized code or commands via network exploitable

Official EUVD record ↗
Cyber Security Agency of Singapore · English · CSA-SB-20200318Security Bulletin 18 Mar 2020

The Cyber Security Agency of Singapore included this CVE in its official Security Bulletin 18 Mar 2020, published on 18 March 2020. Open the linked bulletin for the product, severity and reference information published in that issue.

Official advisory ↗
JVN iPedia · Japanese · JVNDB-2020-002864Windows 用 FortiClient における制御されていない検索パスの要素に関する脆弱性

Windows 用 FortiClient には、制御されていない検索パスの要素に関する脆弱性が存在します。

Official advisory ↗
KISA KrCERT/CC · Korean · KNVD-5202백신 프로그램(Antivirus) 제품 취약점 보안 업데이트 권고

므로, 해당 제품을 사용하는 이용자들은 최신 버전으로 업데이트 권고 ##### □ 주요 내용 o Kaspersky VPN Secure Connection의 설치 엔진(installer)과 Virus Removal Tool (KVRT)에서 발생하는 임의파일 삭제 취약점(CVE-2020-25043, 25044) [1] o Kaspersky Security Center와 Web Console에서 설치 엔진(installer)에서 DLL 하이재킹으로 인해 발생하는 권한상승 취약점(CVE-2020-25045) [1] o McAfee Endpoint Security(ENS) for Windows에서 실행 파일에 대한 검증이 미흡하여 발생하는 권한상승 취약점(CVE-2020-7250) [2] o McAfee Total Protection Trial의 설치 엔진(installer)에서 실행 파일에 대한 검증이 미흡하여 발생하는 권한상승 취약점(CVE-2020-7310) [3] o Symantec의 Norton Power Eraser에서 발생하는 권한상승 취약점(CVE-2019-19548) [4] o Fortinet의 FortiClient for Windows online 설치 엔진(installer)에서 DLL 하이재킹으로 인해 발생하는 임의코드 실행 취약점(CVE-2020-9290) [5] o Check Point의 Endpoint Security Client, Endpoint Security VPN에서 실행 파일에 대한 검증이 미흡하여 발생하는 권한상승 취약점(CVE-2019-8452) [6] o Trend Micro HouseCall for Home Networks에서 DLL 하이재킹으로 인해 발생하는 권한상승 취약점(CVE-2019-14688, 19688, 19689) [7] o MS 윈도우 Defender에서 임의 경로에 있는 파일을 삭제할 수 있는 권한상승 취약점(CVE-2019-1161) [8] ##### □ 영향받는 제품 및 해결 방안 o Kaspersky - 참고사이트[1]의 “Affected products”와 “Fixed Version” 항목을 확인하여 업데이트 적용 o McAfee - 참고사이트[2][3]의 “Remediation” 항목을 확인하여 업데이트 적용 o Fortinet - 참고사이트[5]의 “Affected products”와 “Solutions” 항목을 확인하여 업데이트 적용 o Check Point - 참고사이트[6]의 “Solutions” 항목을 확인하여 업데이트 적용 o Trend Micro - 참고사이트[7]의 “Affected Version”과 “Solutions” 항목을 확인하

Official advisory ↗
03

Patch and workaround

Operational remediation based on structured source evidence.

Status
?Patch availability is based on structured fixed-version fields and authoritative update references. If no fix is verified, check the vendor advisory before making a change.
Patch available
Affected
FortiClientWindows: 6.2.3
Fixed
Action
Review the linked authoritative reference and apply the recorded fixed release appropriate to the affected product branch.
Workaround
No verified workaround is recorded. If business-safe, reduce exposure to the affected interface and allow only trusted sources until authoritative guidance is available.
04

Evidence and provenance

Published 15 Mar 2020 · Last source change 13 Oct 2026, 17:37 UTC · CWE-426 · Untrusted Search Path

CVE recordCVE.org · 5.2
CVSS sourceCNA
EPSS source
?The date BlackTree first stored a score for this CVE from the daily FIRST EPSS feed.
FIRST · tracked since 2026-08-14
European sourceENISA EUVD · EUVD-2020-30116
Product sourceCNA
Remediation sourceCVE/CNA references
CWE sourceCNA
NVD statusNVD modified after enrichment

Core structured fields are present and their contributing authorities are shown above.

Material change intelligence

What changed after publication

View recent updates ↗
  1. Vendor guidanceAuthoritative vendor guidance changed: added remediation: fortiguard.fortinet.com/FG-IR-19-060.
    Before
    vendor advisory: fortiguard.com/FG-IR-19-060
    After
    remediation: fortiguard.fortinet.com/FG-IR-19-060 · vendor advisory: fortiguard.com/FG-IR-19-060
    fortiguard.fortinet.com ↗
  2. Affected versionsThe structured affected or fixed version information changed.
    Before
    Fortinet FortiClient for Windows: 6.2.3 and below · Fixed: No fixed version is explicitly recorded in the structured CVE data.
    After
    FortiClientWindows: 6.2.3 · Fixed: CVE-2019-5589: Use FortiClient for Windows online installer 6.0.6 or above; CVE-2020-9290: Use FortiClient for Windows online installer 6.4.7 or above, 7.0.1 or above, and FortiClient VPN for Windows online installer 6.4.7 or above, 7.0.1 or above; CVE-2020-9287: Use FortiClient EMS online installer 6.2.9 or above, 6.4.7 or above, 7.0.1 or above.; Revision History:; 05-16-2019 Initial version; 3-09-2020 add CVE-2020-9290 and CVE-2020-9287; 13-9-2021 modified CVE-2020-9290; 8-11-2021 add CVE-2020-9290 and CVE-2020-9287
    CNA ↗
  3. Remediation statusRemediation status changed from Awaiting fix to Patch available.
    Before
    Awaiting fix
    After
    Patch available
    fortiguard.fortinet.com ↗
  4. CVSS scoreCVSS score changed from 7.8 (CVSS 3.1 · NIST NVD · CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H) to 7.1 (CVSS 3.1 · CNA · CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L/E:F/RL:O/RC:X).
    Before
    7.8 (CVSS 3.1 · NIST NVD · CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H)
    After
    7.1 (CVSS 3.1 · CNA · CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L/E:F/RL:O/RC:X)
    CNA ↗
  5. Affected versionsThe structured affected or fixed version information changed.
    Before
    6.2.3 and below · Fixed: No fixed version is explicitly recorded in the structured CVE data.
    After
    Fortinet FortiClient for Windows: 6.2.3 and below · Fixed: No fixed version is explicitly recorded in the structured CVE data.
    CNA ↗
Material fields only · duplicate refreshes suppressed · history retained for the configured operational retention period
CVE published
Fixed release or patch reference recorded
ENISA EUVD · EUVD-2020-30116↗Vendor advisory↗CVE authority or vendor reference · Fortinet FG-IR-19-060↗Official CVE record (CNA and ADP data)↗NVD record↗
Technical terms and abbreviations used in this report
CVE
Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures: the public identifier for one disclosed vulnerability.
CVSS
Common Vulnerability Scoring System: a technical severity framework; it is not patching priority by itself.
EPSS
Exploit Prediction Scoring System: FIRST's estimate of the probability that exploitation activity will be observed in the next 30 days; it is a forecast, not confirmation.
CWE
Common Weakness Enumeration: the standard category describing the underlying software or hardware weakness.
CNA
CVE Numbering Authority: an organisation authorised to assign and publish CVE records.
CISA ADP
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Authorized Data Publisher: structured enrichment added to a CVE record.
NVD
National Vulnerability Database: NIST's enrichment service for CVE records.
CERT / CSIRT
A computer security incident response team that publishes warnings or coordinates incident response.
PoC
Proof of concept: public material that demonstrates or helps reproduce exploitation.
CSAF
Common Security Advisory Framework: a machine-readable format for security advisories.
LoTL
Living off the land: abuse of legitimate tools or system functions during an attack.
Free version - for non-commercial use only.CVE-2020-9290 · cve.blacktree.nl