# CVE-2022-40684: Fortinet Multiple Products Authentication Bypass

> Unauthenticated attackers can bypass authentication to perform administrative operations on Fortinet devices via crafted HTTP requests.

- **Severity:** Critical 9.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:F/RL:U/RC:C`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Yes, since 11 Oct 2022 (CISA KEV), used in ransomware
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 18 Oct 2022
- **Updated:** 6 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-m3wm-rjvf-m778

## What is CVE-2022-40684?

CVE-2022-40684 is a critical authentication bypass vulnerability in Fortinet Fortios, published on 18 Oct 2022. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official 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.

Weakness: CWE-287 (Improper Authentication)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2022-40684?

It affects 3 products.


Products: Fortinet Fortios, Fortinet Fortiproxy, Fortinet Fortiswitchmanager.

## How do I fix CVE-2022-40684?

No fix has been published for CVE-2022-40684 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available. US federal agencies must fix it by 1 Nov 2022.

## Is CVE-2022-40684 being exploited?

Yes. Attackers have exploited CVE-2022-40684 in the wild since at least 11 Oct 2022, including in ransomware campaigns.

Public exploit code:

- A proof of concept exploit for CVE-2022-40684 affecting Fortinet FortiOS, FortiProxy, and FortiSwitchManager (github_poc): https://github.com/horizon3ai/CVE-2022-40684
- PoC for CVE-2022-40684 - Authentication bypass lead to Full device takeover (Read-only) (github_poc): https://github.com/carlosevieira/CVE-2022-40684
- Research repository tracking affected IPs from the Fortigate CVE-2022-40684 configuration leak by Belsen Group (github_poc): https://github.com/arsolutioner/fortigate-belsen-leak
- Bash PoC for Fortinet Auth Bypass - CVE-2022-40684 (github_poc): https://github.com/Filiplain/Fortinet-PoC-Auth-Bypass
- Exploit for CVE-2022-40684 affecting Fortinet FortiOS, FortiProxy, and FortiSwitchManager (github_poc): https://github.com/kljunowsky/CVE-2022-40684-POC
- An authentication bypass using an alternate path or channel in Fortinet product (github_poc): https://github.com/TaroballzChen/CVE-2022-40684-metasploit-scanner

## Other vulnerabilities in Fortinet Fortios

- [CVE-2024-23113](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-23113/): Fortinet Multiple Products Format String (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2024-55591](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-55591/): Fortinet FortiOS and FortiProxy Authentication Bypass (critical 9.6, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2024-21762](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-21762/): Fortinet FortiOS Out-of-Bound Write (critical 9.6, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2022-42475](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-42475/): Fortinet FortiOS Heap-Based Buffer Overflow (critical 9.3, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2023-27997](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-27997/): Fortinet FortiOS and FortiProxy SSL-VPN Heap-Based Buffer Overflow (critical 9.2, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2022-40684 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2022-40684 is a critical authentication bypass vulnerability in Fortinet Fortios, published on 18 Oct 2022. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: Yes. Attackers have exploited CVE-2022-40684 in the wild since at least 11 Oct 2022, including in ransomware campaigns.

Affected product: Fortinet Fortios. 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-2022-40684/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-40684/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-40684
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-40684
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2022-40684

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-40684/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.