# CVE-2024-21753: Path traversal in FortiClientEMS

> Attackers can cause denial of service or read/write limited files via crafted HTTP requests in FortiClient EMS.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:H/E:H/RL:U/RC:C`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** An administrator
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 10 Sep 2024
- **Updated:** 22 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-8832-5jj9-833x

## What is CVE-2024-21753?

CVE-2024-21753 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in Fortinet FortiClientEMS, published on 10 Sep 2024. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

A improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory ('path traversal') vulnerability in Fortinet FortiClientEMS 7.2.0 through 7.2.4, FortiClientEMS 7.0 all versions, FortiClientEMS 6.4 all versions, FortiClientEMS 06.02 all versions, FortiClientEMS 6.2 all versions, FortiClientEMS 06.00 all versions, FortiClientEMS 6.0 all versions, FortiClientEMS 01.02.02 through 01.02.05 allows attacker to perform a denial of service, read or write a limited number of files via specially crafted HTTP requests

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

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-21753?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Fortinet Forticlient Endpoint Management Server.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-21753?

No fix has been published for CVE-2024-21753 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2024-21753 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-21753 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-2020-15941](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-15941/): Path traversal in Fortinet FortiClientEMS (medium 5.4)
- [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-2024-21753 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-21753 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in Fortinet FortiClientEMS, published on 10 Sep 2024. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-21753 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-2024-21753/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-21753/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-21753
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-21753
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-21753

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-21753/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.