CVE-2019-16150

Sensitive-data disclosure via hard-coded encryption key

Published Jun 4, 2020 · Updated Oct 25, 2024

Hard-coded key use in Fortinet FortiClient for Windows before 6.4.0 allows local users to decrypt sensitive configuration data. The client encrypts security-sensitive local storage and configuration backups with a key embedded in the software, so possession of a file and knowledge of that shared key defeats confidentiality. Access to local storage or a configuration backup is required; the documented impact is disclosure, not data modification or service interruption.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability1.12%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Hard-coded key use in Fortinet FortiClient for Windows before 6.4.0 allows local users to decrypt sensitive configuration data. The client encrypts security-sensitive local storage and configuration backups with a key embedded in the software, so possession of a file and knowledge of that shared key defeats confidentiality. Access to local storage or a configuration backup is required; the documented impact is disclosure, not data modification or service interruption.

The record

CVE
CVE-2019-16150
Published
Jun 4, 2020
Updated
Oct 25, 2024
Vendor
Fortinet
Product
FortiClient
Classifications
CWE-798, T1005
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jun 4, 2020CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Oct 25, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=FortiClient for Windows below 6.4.0

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Fortinet · FortiClientversion=FortiClient for Windows below 6.4.0

Published CVSS scores

5.0NIST NVDAV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:N
5.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-798Use of Hard-coded Credentials
T1005Data from Local System

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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