CVE-2025-53609 is a Relative Path Traversal vulnerability (CWE-23) identified in Fortinet's FortiWeb product versions 7.0.2 through 7.6.4. This vulnerability allows an attacker who has authenticated with high privileges to craft specific requests that manipulate file path parameters, enabling arbitrary file reads on the underlying operating system. The flaw arises because FortiWeb does not properly sanitize or validate relative path inputs, allowing traversal outside intended directories. Exploitation requires valid credentials with elevated privileges, and no user interaction is necessary beyond authentication. The vulnerability affects confidentiality by exposing potentially sensitive files, such as configuration files, credentials, or logs, but does not impact data integrity or system availability. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 4.7 (medium), reflecting network attack vector, low attack complexity, high privileges required, no user interaction, and high confidentiality impact. No public exploits or active exploitation have been reported to date. FortiWeb is widely deployed as a web application firewall (WAF) in enterprise environments to protect web applications from attacks. This vulnerability could allow attackers to bypass some security controls by accessing sensitive files, potentially aiding further attacks or data exfiltration. The lack of vendor patch links suggests that fixes may be pending or recently released, so organizations should monitor Fortinet advisories closely. FortiWeb’s role in protecting critical web infrastructure makes this vulnerability significant for organizations relying on it for security enforcement.

For European organizations, the primary impact is unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information stored on FortiWeb devices, including configuration files, credentials, or logs that could facilitate further attacks or data breaches. This could compromise confidentiality of protected data and weaken the security posture of web applications behind FortiWeb. Since exploitation requires authenticated access with high privileges, the threat is more relevant to insider threats or attackers who have already compromised administrative credentials. The vulnerability does not affect system integrity or availability, so direct service disruption is unlikely. However, the exposure of sensitive files could lead to secondary impacts such as credential theft, lateral movement, or compliance violations under GDPR if personal data is involved. Organizations in sectors with stringent data protection requirements, such as finance, healthcare, and government, may face increased regulatory and reputational risks. The absence of known exploits reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the need for prompt remediation. European entities using FortiWeb as a critical security layer should consider this vulnerability a moderate risk that requires timely patching and access control review.

1. Apply official patches from Fortinet as soon as they become available for affected FortiWeb versions to remediate the path traversal vulnerability. 2. Restrict administrative and high-privilege access to FortiWeb management interfaces using network segmentation, VPNs, and strong multi-factor authentication to reduce the risk of credential compromise. 3. Implement strict role-based access controls (RBAC) to limit the number of users with high privileges capable of exploiting this vulnerability. 4. Monitor FortiWeb logs and system file access patterns for unusual or unauthorized file read attempts indicative of exploitation attempts. 5. Conduct regular audits of FortiWeb configurations and user accounts to detect and remove stale or unnecessary privileged accounts. 6. Employ network intrusion detection systems (NIDS) with signatures or heuristics for path traversal attack patterns targeting FortiWeb. 7. Educate administrators on the risks of path traversal vulnerabilities and the importance of safeguarding credentials. 8. Consider deploying additional endpoint and network monitoring to detect lateral movement or data exfiltration attempts following potential exploitation. 9. Maintain an incident response plan that includes procedures for handling FortiWeb compromise scenarios. 10. Stay updated with Fortinet security advisories and threat intelligence feeds for any emerging exploit developments.