The KRVTZ-NET IDS alerts from February 4, 2026, represent observed network reconnaissance activities detected by intrusion detection systems. The indicators include multiple IP addresses identified as HTTP User-Agent scanners, such as those operated by Censys and the Naver Webcrawler, which are commonly used for internet-wide scanning and data collection. These scanners probe web services to gather information about exposed assets and their configurations. Among the indicators is an IP address linked to repeated GET requests targeting the /remote/logincheck endpoint of Fortigate VPN devices, associated with CVE-2023-27997. This CVE describes a vulnerability in Fortigate VPN that could allow unauthorized access or remote code execution if exploited. However, the alert does not report active exploitation or payload delivery, indicating that the activity is limited to reconnaissance. No patches are available for this specific alert, and no known exploits in the wild have been observed. The alert is tagged as low severity and categorized under reconnaissance in the kill chain, suggesting it is an early-stage activity in potential attack campaigns. The data is sourced from CIRCL OSINT feeds, indicating open-source intelligence collection rather than proprietary detection. The lack of affected versions or specific impacted products beyond the Fortigate VPN mention limits the scope of immediate concern. Overall, this alert highlights ongoing scanning activity that could be a precursor to targeted attacks but currently poses a low-level threat.

For European organizations, the primary impact of this threat lies in the potential for early-stage reconnaissance that could precede more severe exploitation attempts, particularly targeting Fortigate VPN devices. Organizations using Fortigate VPN appliances are at risk of being scanned for vulnerabilities related to CVE-2023-27997, which if exploited, could lead to unauthorized access or compromise of VPN infrastructure. Such a compromise could result in data breaches, lateral movement within networks, and disruption of secure remote access services. While no active exploitation is reported, the reconnaissance activity increases the likelihood of future targeted attacks. Additionally, the presence of automated scanners like Censys and Naver Webcrawler indicates widespread scanning that could expose network configurations and weaknesses. European entities with high reliance on Fortigate VPN for remote access, especially critical infrastructure and government agencies, may face increased risk. However, the current low severity and absence of known exploits suggest limited immediate impact. Continuous monitoring and proactive defense are essential to prevent escalation.

European organizations should implement targeted mitigation strategies beyond generic advice: 1) Fortify Fortigate VPN devices by ensuring firmware and software are updated to the latest versions that address CVE-2023-27997 and related vulnerabilities, even if no direct patch is currently available for this alert, monitor vendor advisories closely. 2) Deploy and tune intrusion detection and prevention systems (IDS/IPS) to detect and block repeated suspicious requests to /remote/logincheck and similar endpoints. 3) Implement strict access controls and multi-factor authentication (MFA) on VPN gateways to reduce the risk of unauthorized access from reconnaissance to exploitation. 4) Conduct regular network scanning and threat hunting to identify and respond to reconnaissance activity promptly. 5) Use geo-blocking or IP reputation filtering to limit traffic from known scanning IP addresses where feasible. 6) Harden VPN configurations by disabling unnecessary services and enforcing strong session management policies. 7) Educate security teams to recognize reconnaissance patterns and prepare incident response plans for potential exploitation attempts. 8) Collaborate with threat intelligence sharing platforms to stay informed about emerging threats related to Fortigate VPN and reconnaissance activities.