AP root access via hard-coded shell credentials
Published Mar 17, 2025 · Updated Feb 26, 2026
Hard-coded credentials in affected Fortinet FortiWLC releases allow local users to access managed Meru APs and FortiAP-U devices as root. An undocumented shell command uses a default hard-coded username and password to open a root session on a managed access point. The attacker must already hold authenticated local, high-privilege controller access; successful use grants root control of the managed access point.
Summary
What happened
Hard-coded credentials in affected Fortinet FortiWLC releases allow local users to access managed Meru APs and FortiAP-U devices as root. An undocumented shell command uses a default hard-coded username and password to open a root session on a managed access point. The attacker must already hold authenticated local, high-privilege controller access; successful use grants root control of the managed access point.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2021-22126
- Published
- Mar 17, 2025
- Updated
- Feb 26, 2026
- Vendor
- Fortinet
- Product
- FortiWLC
- Classifications
- CWE-284, CWE-798, T1078
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- admin
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Mar 17, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Feb 26, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.
Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=8.2.6 <=8.2.7
- Affected versionversion=8.3.2 <=8.3.3
- Affected versionversion=8.4.0 <=8.4.2
- Affected versionversion=8.4.4 <=8.4.8
- Affected versionversion=8.5.0 <=8.5.2
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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.
Weakness, pattern, technique
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
See the directory against your own environment.
Your stack
Check the software in your environment
Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.
Book a demo