CVE-2025-22252Network attack vector

Administrator access via TACACS+ authentication bypass

Published May 28, 2025 · Updated Feb 26, 2026

Authentication bypass in Fortinet FortiOS, FortiProxy, and FortiSwitch Manager allows remote attackers to gain administrator access. Fortinet has not disclosed the exact authentication check omitted by the TACACS+ administrator-login path. Exploitation requires a known administrator account and a remote TACACS+ server using ASCII authentication; PAP, MSCHAP, and CHAP are unaffected.

CVSS severity9.8
Critical
EPSS probability0.94%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Authentication bypass in Fortinet FortiOS, FortiProxy, and FortiSwitch Manager allows remote attackers to gain administrator access. Fortinet has not disclosed the exact authentication check omitted by the TACACS+ administrator-login path. Exploitation requires a known administrator account and a remote TACACS+ server using ASCII authentication; PAP, MSCHAP, and CHAP are unaffected.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-22252
Published
May 28, 2025
Updated
Feb 26, 2026
Vendor
Fortinet
Product
FortiOS
Classifications
CWE-306, T1190
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. May 28, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Feb 26, 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.

  1. Affected versionversion=7.4.4 <=7.4.6
  2. Affected versionversion=7.6.0

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Fortinet · FortiOSversion=7.4.4 <=7.4.6; version=7.6.0
Fortinet · FortiSwitch Managerversion=7.2.5
Fortinet · FortiProxyversion=7.6.0 <=7.6.1

Published CVSS scores

9.8FortinetCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
7.2NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

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 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-306Missing Authentication for Critical Function
T1190Exploit Public-Facing Application

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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