VULNpocalypse

CVE-2024-55591: Fortinet FortiOS and FortiProxy Authentication Bypass Vulnerability

Advisory generated from the CVE record, CISA, Exploit Observer and VEDAS: what it is, whether it is exploited, who is affected, and how to fix and detect it.

Generated by VEDAS. Scores as of 2026-11-01 19:19 UTC. Rebuilt every few hours from cve-scores, CISA KEV and vedas-signatures. How this works and its limits.

What it is

An Authentication Bypass Using an Alternate Path or Channel vulnerability [CWE-288] affecting FortiOS version 7.0.0 through 7.0.16 and FortiProxy version 7.0.0 through 7.0.19 and 7.2.0 through 7.2.12 allows a remote attacker to gain super-admin privileges via crafted requests to Node.js websocket module.

Description quoted from the CVE record (assigned by fortinet, published 2025-01-14).

Weakness: Execute unauthorized code or commands

How it can be exploited

Exploitable over the network with low attack complexity needing no privileges and no user interaction. Impact: confidentiality high, integrity high, availability high. CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:H/RL:O/RC:C

CISA assessment (SSVC): CISA assesses exploitation as active. Automatable: yes. Technical impact: total.

On CISA KEV since
2025-01-14
US federal deadline
2025-01-21
Ransomware use
Yes

Public exploit evidence (Exploit Observer)

Also known as: BDU:2025-00281, CNNVD-202501-1747, EUVD-2024-52819, GHSA-v4mr-pqhx-vpm2

VEDAS cluster: VEDAS:DRAGOONWAVE

Exploit Observer links 23 pieces of public exploit code or detection modules that name this CVE or one of its aliases.

Exploit code and modules (23)

Code that names this CVE. A repository can be a working exploit, a scanner, a fake or malware; read it before running anything.

Research and write-ups (4)

Vulnerability databases and vendor advisories (6)

Catalogue entries, not exploit evidence.

504 more references returned by Exploit Observer did not name this CVE or an alias, so they are left out.

VEDAS data as of 2026-11-01T17:12 UTC; fetched 2026-11-02.

Live scores

EPSS
0.944
very likely to be attacked soon
VEDAS
0.979
strong exploit evidence
On CISA KEV
Yes, since 2025-01-14
Detection rule
Nuclei · Suricata
EPSS (chance of attack)
10No cve-scores data 2026-02-22 to 2026-08-08no data0.1CVE-2024-55591 EPSS over time2025-042026-11-01
VEDAS (exploit evidence)
10No cve-scores data 2026-02-22 to 2026-08-08no data0.9CVE-2024-55591 VEDAS over time2025-042026-11-01

Thin horizontal line: the “likely” (EPSS 0.10) or “strong” (VEDAS 0.90) threshold. Shaded “no data” areas are periods when cve-scores did not publish.

Who is affected

ProductAffectedNot affected
Fortinet FortiOSfrom 7.0.0 up to and including 7.0.16Not stated
Fortinet FortiProxyfrom 7.2.0 up to and including 7.2.12
from 7.0.0 up to and including 7.0.19		Not stated

Version ranges exactly as the CVE record states them. “Before X” means X is the first fixed version.

Exploit Observer also maps it to: fortinet fortios, fortinet fortiproxy, fortinet_inc. fortios, fortinet_inc. fortiproxy.

How to fix it

CISA required action: Apply mitigations per vendor instructions or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.

Vendor guidance:

How to detect it

Nuclei template (active check)

Fortinet - Authentication Bypass

An Authentication Bypass Using an Alternate Path or Channel vulnerability [CWE-288] affecting FortiOS version 7.0.0 through 7.0.16 and FortiProxy version 7.0.0 through 7.0.19 and 7.2.0 through 7.2.12 allows a remote attacker to gain super-admin privileges via crafted requests to Node.js websocket module.

Name and description quoted from the template, written by VEDAS.

The template sends 2 requests (GET /service-worker.js?local_access_token={{randstr}}, GET /login?redir=/ng); it decides using status, word matchers. Severity in the template: critical. Marked as not yet verified against a live vulnerable target.

Run it against a host you own or are authorised to test:

bash
nuclei -u https://your-host -t CVE-2024-55591.yaml
Show the template (58 lines)
yaml
id: CVE-2024-55591

info:
  name: "Fortinet - Authentication Bypass"
  author: vedas-arpsyndicate
  severity: critical
  description: |
    An Authentication Bypass Using an Alternate Path or Channel vulnerability [CWE-288] affecting FortiOS version
    7.0.0 through 7.0.16 and FortiProxy version 7.0.0 through 7.0.19 and 7.2.0 through 7.2.12 allows a remote
    attacker to gain super-admin privileges via crafted requests to Node.js websocket module.
  reference:
    - https://www.exploit.observer/?keyword=CVE-2024-55591&match=exact
    - https://subdomain.center/?engine=ammonites&keyword=fortinet&match=exact
  classification:
    cvss-metrics: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
    cvss-score: 9.8
    cve-id: CVE-2024-55591
    cwe-id: CWE-288,NVD-CWE-Other
  metadata:
    verified: false
  tags: cve,cve2024,fortinet,disclosure,fortios,kev,intrusive,vkev,vuln
flow: http(1) && http(2)

http:
  - method: GET
    path:
      - "{{BaseURL}}/login?redir=/ng"

    host-redirects: true
    max-redirects: 2
    matchers:
      - type: word
        words:
          - '<html class="main-app">'
        internal: true

  - raw:
      - |
        GET /service-worker.js?local_access_token={{randstr}} HTTP/1.1
        Host: {{Hostname}}

    matchers-condition: and
    matchers:
      - type: word
        part: body
        words:
          - "api/v2/static"
          - "self.addEventListener"
        condition: and

      - type: word
        part: content_type
        words:
          - "application/javascript"

      - type: status
        status:
          - 200

CVE-2024-55591.yaml on GitHub

Suricata rules (network detection)

1 rule that alert on traffic matching this exploit: VEDAS CVE-2024-55591 Fortinet - Authentication Bypass. Add them to your Suricata rule set and reload.

Show the rules
suricata
alert http $EXTERNAL_NET any -> $HTTP_SERVERS $HTTP_PORTS (msg:"VEDAS CVE-2024-55591 Fortinet - Authentication Bypass"; flow:established,to_server; http.uri; content:"/service-worker.js"; nocase; content:"local_access_token="; nocase; fast_pattern; classtype:web-application-attack; reference:cve,CVE-2024-55591; reference:url,https://www.exploit.observer/?keyword=CVE-2024-55591&match=exact; reference:url,https://subdomain.center/?engine=ammonites&keyword=fortinet&match=exact; sid:1009515; rev:1;)

CVE-2024-55591.rules on GitHub

Advisories on this CVE

References

Government sources

Other references

Other databases

Where this comes from

This advisory is generated automatically by VEDAS from: CVE.org record, CISA KEV, cve-scores (EPSS and VEDAS), Exploit Observer, vedas-signatures. Text in quotes is reproduced from the source; everything else is a fixed template filled with source fields. Nothing here is written by a language model. Check the vendor advisory before acting, and read how VEDAS and Exploit Observer work, and their limits.