Super-admin access via crafted WebSocket requests
Published Jan 14, 2025 · Updated Aug 5, 2026
Authentication bypass in affected Fortinet FortiOS and FortiProxy releases allows remote attackers to gain super-admin privileges via WebSocket requests. The Node.js WebSocket module accepts an alternate management-channel request without authentication and opens a privileged CLI session. Network access to the HTTP/HTTPS management interface and a known or guessable administrator username are required; exploitation permits unauthorized commands and configuration changes.
Summary
What happened
Authentication bypass in affected Fortinet FortiOS and FortiProxy releases allows remote attackers to gain super-admin privileges via WebSocket requests. The Node.js WebSocket module accepts an alternate management-channel request without authentication and opens a privileged CLI session. Network access to the HTTP/HTTPS management interface and a known or guessable administrator username are required; exploitation permits unauthorized commands and configuration changes.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2024-55591
- Published
- Jan 14, 2025
- Updated
- Aug 5, 2026
- Vendor
- Fortinet
- Product
- FortiOS
- Classifications
- CWE-288, T1190
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Jan 14, 2025Exploitation reportedCISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog entry
- Jan 14, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Aug 5, 2026Record 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.
- Affected versionversion=7.0.0 <=7.0.16
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
- ScaryByte R&D PoC for CVE-2024-55591functional · unverified
Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.
Reported exploitation
- Fortinet-reported exploitation in the wildreported exploitation
- CISA-recorded ransomware campaign useransomware
- CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog entryknown exploited catalog
Technologies
Your stack
See the directory against your own environment.
Your stack
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