IRONSMITHINTEL
LOWCVSS3.3
|
Actively Exploited
|CISA KEV|CVE-2021-44168|Auth: low — authenticated user|Reboot: required|Manual only

Fortinet FortiOS Arbitrary File Download (CVE-2021-44168)

Fortinet FortiOS "execute restore src-vis" downloads code without integrity checking, allowing an attacker to arbitrarily download files.

Published Jan 4, 2022 · Updated May 17, 2026
Why patchRisk explained in plain English
Worst-case scenarioIf unpatched

A local attacker, with a low-privilege account, can achieve partial data exposure, partial data tampering. Federal agencies are required to remediate by 2021-12-24 under CISA BOD 22-01.

How the attack worksNo clicks needed

This is a Software Vulnerability (CWE-494) (CWE-494) vulnerability in Fortinet FortiOS. A download of code without integrity check vulnerability in the "execute restore src-vis" command of FortiOS before 7.0.3 may allow a local authenticated attacker to download arbitrary files on the device via specially crafted update packages. Exploitation requires local access, low attack complexity, a low-privilege authenticated account, and no user interaction required.

Am I affected?Quick check

Probably yes if any of these apply:

●Network Security Team
●Firewall Administrators
●IT Security
●Running fortios: v < 6.0.14, 6.2.0 ≤ v < 6.2.10, 6.4.0 ≤ v < 6.4.8, 7.0.0 ≤ v < 7.0.3
Real-world incidentsWhat we've seen

CISA added this CVE to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2021-12-10 based on evidence of active exploitation in the wild. Federal agencies required to remediate by 2021-12-24.

How to patch

Manual remediation steps

1
Identify affected hosts: query inventory for network-security installs in scope.
2
Apply the vendor security update referenced in CVE-2021-44168's advisory. No specific KB/version is encoded yet — consult the linked MSRC/vendor URL.
3
Verify the fix per the vendor's published verification steps.
4
Document the remediation in your change ticket and re-scan with your vulnerability scanner to confirm closure.
PowerShell automationComing soon

No tested PowerShell script for this entry yet. We’re prioritising automation based on user demand.

References

↗ CVE-2021-44168↗ MSRC Advisory↗ NVD↗ Vendor Advisory