# CVE-2020-15941: Path traversal in Fortinet FortiClientEMS

> An authenticated attacker can exploit a path traversal flaw in FortiClient EMS to add or delete server files via the Deployment Packages name parameter.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.4 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:L/E:F/RL:X/RC:X`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 6 Oct 2021
- **Updated:** 25 Oct 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-5ff5-r366-72xm

## What is CVE-2020-15941?

CVE-2020-15941 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in Fortinet FortiClientEMS, published on 6 Oct 2021. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

A path traversal vulnerability [CWE-22] in FortiClientEMS versions 6.4.1 and below; 6.2.8 and below may allow an authenticated attacker to inject directory traversal character sequences to add/delete the files of the server via the name parameter of Deployment Packages.

Weakness: CWE-22 (Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-15941?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Fortinet Forticlient Endpoint Management Server.

## How do I fix CVE-2020-15941?

No fix has been published for CVE-2020-15941 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2020-15941 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-15941 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Fortinet FortiClientEMS

- [CVE-2023-47534](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-47534/): Code injection in FortiClientEMS (high 8.7)
- [CVE-2021-24019](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-24019/): Auth bypass in Fortinet FortiClientEMS (high 8.1)
- [CVE-2024-21753](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-21753/): Path traversal in FortiClientEMS (medium 5.5)
- [CVE-2021-44172](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-44172/): Information disclosure in FortiClientEMS (low 3.6)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2020-15941 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2020-15941 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in Fortinet FortiClientEMS, published on 6 Oct 2021. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-15941 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Fortinet FortiClientEMS. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-15941/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-15941/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-15941
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-15941
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2020-15941

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-15941/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.