# CVE-2022-42475: Fortinet FortiOS Heap-Based Buffer Overflow

> Remote unauthenticated attackers can execute arbitrary code via crafted requests due to a heap-based buffer overflow in Fortinet SSL-VPN.

- **Severity:** Critical 9.3 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:P/RL:U/RC:C`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Yes, since 13 Dec 2022 (CISA KEV), used in ransomware
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 2 Jan 2023
- **Updated:** 21 Oct 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-p3vq-4cxh-gfp9

## What is CVE-2022-42475?

CVE-2022-42475 is a critical memory corruption vulnerability in Fortinet Fortios, published on 2 Jan 2023. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

A heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability [CWE-122] in FortiOS SSL-VPN 7.2.0 through 7.2.2, 7.0.0 through 7.0.8, 6.4.0 through 6.4.10, 6.2.0 through 6.2.11, 6.0.15 and earlier  and FortiProxy SSL-VPN 7.2.0 through 7.2.1, 7.0.7 and earlier may allow a remote unauthenticated attacker to execute arbitrary code or commands via specifically crafted requests.

Weakness: CWE-787 (Out-of-bounds Write), CWE-197 (Numeric Truncation Error)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2022-42475?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Fortinet Fortios, Fortinet Fortiproxy.

## How do I fix CVE-2022-42475?

No fix has been published for CVE-2022-42475 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available. US federal agencies must fix it by 3 Jan 2023.

## Is CVE-2022-42475 being exploited?

Yes. Attackers have exploited CVE-2022-42475 in the wild since at least 13 Dec 2022, including in ransomware campaigns.

Public exploit code:

- POC code to exploit the Heap overflow in Fortinet's SSLVPN daemon (github_poc): https://github.com/scrt/cve-2022-42475
- An exploit for CVE-2022-42475, a pre-authentication heap overflow in Fortinet networking products (github_poc): https://github.com/0xhaggis/CVE-2022-42475
- CVE-2022-42475 飞塔RCE漏洞 POC (github_poc): https://github.com/P4x1s/CVE-2022-42475-RCE-POC
- FortiOS buffer overflow vulnerability (github_poc): https://github.com/Amir-hy/cve-2022-42475
- test for the ioc described for FG-IR-22-398 (github_poc): https://github.com/bryanster/ioc-cve-2022-42475
- https://github.com/Mustafa1986/cve-2022-42475-Fortinet (github_poc): https://github.com/Mustafa1986/cve-2022-42475-Fortinet

## 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-2022-40684](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-40684/): Fortinet Multiple Products Authentication Bypass (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-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-2022-42475 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2022-42475 is a critical memory corruption vulnerability in Fortinet Fortios, published on 2 Jan 2023. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: Yes. Attackers have exploited CVE-2022-42475 in the wild since at least 13 Dec 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-2022-42475/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-42475/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-42475
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-42475
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2022-42475

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-42475/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.