# CVE-2025-57716: Path traversal in FortiClientWindows

> A local low-privileged user can execute arbitrary code via DLL hijacking by placing a malicious DLL in the FortiClient Online Installer folder.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.0 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:P/RL:O/RC:C`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 14 Oct 2025
- **Updated:** 26 Feb 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-4gcf-xhrj-g4gq

## What is CVE-2025-57716?

CVE-2025-57716 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in Fortinet Forticlient, published on 14 Oct 2025. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

An Uncontrolled Search Path Element vulnerability [CWE-427] in FortiClient Windows 7.4.0 through 7.4.3, 7.2.0 through 7.2.11, 7.0 all versions may allow a local low privileged user to perform a DLL hijacking attack via placing a malicious DLL to the FortiClient Online Installer installation folder.

Weakness: CWE-427 (Uncontrolled Search Path Element)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-57716?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Fortinet Forticlient.

## How do I fix CVE-2025-57716?

No fix has been published for CVE-2025-57716 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2025-57716 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-57716 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Fortinet Forticlient

- [CVE-2019-17658](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-17658/): Privilege escalation in Fortinet FortiClientWindows (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2023-45590](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-45590/): Code injection in FortiClientLinux (critical 9.4)
- [CVE-2017-14184](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-14184/): Information disclosure in FortiClient SSLVPN Client for Linux (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2016-8493](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-8493/): Privilege escalation in Fortinet FortiClient (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2020-15934](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-15934/): Privilege escalation in FortiClientLinux (high 8.6)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2025-57716 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-57716 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in Fortinet Forticlient, published on 14 Oct 2025. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-57716 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Fortinet Forticlient. 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-2025-57716/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-57716/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-57716
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-57716
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-57716

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-57716/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.