CVE-2024-40591: Fortinet FortiOS · Escalation of privilege
Affects Fortinet FortiOSSource CVE Database V5
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 8.0 High.
Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 06:26 UTC
- EPSS
- 0.6% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 49% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:P/RL:X/RC:RExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 11 Feb 2025
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors
A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 2026-10-26.
What to do
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| Fortinet FortiOS | Affected
| Fixed in– |
AI-suggested
1. Immediately restrict Security Fabric permissions to only the most trusted and necessary administrators to reduce the risk of privilege escalation. 2. Monitor network connections between FortiGate devices to detect and block unauthorized or suspicious upstream FortiGate connections. 3. Implement strict network segmentation and access controls to limit administrative access to FortiGate management interfaces. 4. Regularly audit administrator accounts and permissions to ensure least privilege principles are enforced. 5. Deploy network intrusion detection systems (IDS) to identify anomalous traffic patterns indicative of exploitation attempts. 6. Stay updated with Fortinet advisories and apply security patches promptly once available. 7. Consider temporary compensating controls such as disabling Security Fabric features if feasible until patches are released. 8. Conduct internal penetration testing and vulnerability assessments focusing on FortiGate devices to identify potential exploitation paths.
Description
An incorrect privilege assignment vulnerability [CWE-266] in Fortinet FortiOS version 7.6.0, 7.4.0 through 7.4.4, 7.2.0 through 7.2.9 and before 7.0.15 allows an authenticated admin whose access profile has the Security Fabric permission to escalate their privileges to super-admin by connecting the targetted FortiGate to a malicious upstream FortiGate they control.