# CVE-2020-9289: Hardcoded credentials in Fortinet FortiManager

> An attacker with CLI configuration access can decrypt sensitive password data using a hard-coded cryptographic key in FortiManager and FortiAnalyzer.

- **Severity:** High 7.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 16 Jun 2020
- **Updated:** 25 Oct 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-8832-m7jx-c7wv

## What is CVE-2020-9289?

CVE-2020-9289 is a high-severity vulnerability in Fortinet Fortianalyzer, published on 16 Jun 2020. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Use of a hard-coded cryptographic key to encrypt password data in CLI configuration in FortiManager 6.2.3 and below, FortiAnalyzer 6.2.3 and below may allow an attacker with access to the CLI configuration or the CLI backup file to decrypt the sensitive data, via knowledge of the hard-coded key.

Weakness: CWE-798 (Use of Hard-coded Credentials)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-9289?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Fortinet Fortianalyzer, Fortinet Fortimanager.

## How do I fix CVE-2020-9289?

No fix has been published for CVE-2020-9289 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2020-9289 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-9289 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Public exploit code:

- Decrypt reversible secrets encrypted using the default hardcoded key related to CVE-2020-9289 on FortiAnalyzer/FortiManager (the only difference with CVE-2019-6693 is the encryption routine). (github_poc): https://github.com/synacktiv/CVE-2020-9289

## Other vulnerabilities in Fortinet Fortianalyzer

- [CVE-2026-24858](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-24858/): Fortinet Multiple Products Authentication Bypass Using an Alternate Path or Channel (critical 9.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2023-25610](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-25610/): Memory corruption in FortiAnalyzer (critical 9.3)
- [CVE-2021-32603](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-32603/): Server-side request forgery in Fortinet FortiAnalyzer, FortiManager (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2020-12817](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-12817/): Cross-site scripting in Fortinet FortiAnalyzer (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2024-48886](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-48886/): Auth bypass in FortiOS (high 8.0)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2020-9289 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2020-9289 is a high-severity vulnerability in Fortinet Fortianalyzer, published on 16 Jun 2020. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-9289 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Fortinet Fortianalyzer. 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-2020-9289/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-9289/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-9289
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-9289
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2020-9289

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-9289/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.