# CVE-2021-44172: Information disclosure in FortiClientEMS

> Unauthenticated attackers can access sensitive environment variables, such as installation paths, via the FortiClient EMS management interface.

- **Severity:** Low 3.6 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N/E:P/RL:O/RC:U`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 13 Sep 2023
- **Updated:** 24 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-cvf7-h454-x3rj

## What is CVE-2021-44172?

CVE-2021-44172 is a low-severity vulnerability in Fortinet FortiClientEMS, published on 13 Sep 2023. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

An exposure of sensitive information to an unauthorized actor vulnerability [CWE-200] in FortiClientEMS versions 7.0.0 through 7.0.4, 7.0.6 through 7.0.7, in all 6.4 and 6.2 version management interface may allow an unauthenticated attacker to gain information on environment variables such as the EMS installation path.

Weakness: CWE-200 (Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2021-44172?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Fortinet Forticlient Endpoint Management Server.

## How do I fix CVE-2021-44172?

No fix has been published for CVE-2021-44172 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2021-44172 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-44172 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-2020-15941](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-15941/): Path traversal in Fortinet FortiClientEMS (medium 5.4)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2021-44172 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2021-44172 is a low-severity vulnerability in Fortinet FortiClientEMS, published on 13 Sep 2023. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-44172 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-2021-44172/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-44172/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-44172
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-44172
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2021-44172

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-44172/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.