How severe is CVE-2022-40684?

CVE-2022-40684 has a CVSS score of 9.8/10, rated CRITICAL. Immediate patching is strongly recommended.

Which products are affected by CVE-2022-40684?

Affected package information for CVE-2022-40684 is not yet fully mapped. Check the official advisory links for details.

How do I patch CVE-2022-40684?

Apply the fortinet fortios security patch or hotfix for CVE-2022-40684 on the affected version, following the vendor advisory for your exact build.

How do I detect CVE-2022-40684 across my infrastructure?

Inventory every fortinet fortios deployment and check each version against the affected-products list above. Because the exploit targets the running system rather than your application code, also watch for exploitation at the network and runtime layer — O3 flags the exploit behaviour from runtime telemetry and egress traffic even before a vulnerable build is confirmed.

How do I mitigate CVE-2022-40684 if there is no patch (or I can't update yet)?

Cut exposure now: restrict the management/admin interface to trusted networks, segment the device, and apply the vendor's recommended configuration mitigations and any WAF/IPS signature. O3's runtime protection blocks the exploit chain at execution, holding the line on unpatched or end-of-life systems until you can patch.

How does O3 Security protect against CVE-2022-40684?

O3 detects and blocks CVE-2022-40684 exploitation at runtime: eBPF exploit-chain detection, plus L7 egress monitoring that catches the post-exploitation callback and severs the attacker's outbound channel.

Is CVE-2022-40684 actively exploited in the wild?

Yes. There are 36 known exploit references for CVE-2022-40684, including 2 documented proof-of-concept exploits on Exploit-DB and 21 in-the-wild exploitations observed on GitHub and other sources. Treat this as actively exploitable and prioritize patching immediately. All exploit code should only be run in an isolated sandbox environment for research or authorized testing — never against production systems without explicit written authorization.

What is the EPSS score for CVE-2022-40684?

CVE-2022-40684 has an EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) score of 100.0%, placing it in the 100th percentile of all CVEs. EPSS is maintained by FIRST.org and estimates the probability that a vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. A score above 50% indicates significantly elevated exploitation risk — immediate patching is strongly recommended.

Is CVE-2022-40684 in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog?

Yes. CVE-2022-40684 (Fortinet Multiple Products Authentication Bypass Vulnerability) was added to CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog on 2022-10-11. CISA required all US federal civilian agencies to remediate this vulnerability by 2022-11-01. The required action was: Apply updates per vendor instructions. This CVE has been used in known ransomware campaigns. Being listed in the KEV catalog is the strongest possible confirmation of active exploitation — treat this as a critical priority.

What type of vulnerability is CVE-2022-40684?

CVE-2022-40684 is classified as Improper Authentication (CWE-287). This weakness type describe the underlying flaw category, which helps determine the potential impact and the right class of mitigation.

Which products and versions are affected by CVE-2022-40684?

CVE-2022-40684 affects fortinet fortios; fortinet fortiproxy (1 version, e.g. 7.2.0); fortinet fortiswitchmanager (2 versions, e.g. 7.0.0, 7.2.0). Check the affected-products list on this page against your deployed version to confirm exposure.

Is there exploit tooling available for CVE-2022-40684?

A Nuclei detection template exists for CVE-2022-40684, meaning automated scanners can fingerprint it. 2 Metasploit modules reference CVE-2022-40684, which lowers the barrier to weaponization. Public exploit tooling significantly increases real-world risk — prioritize patching and ensure detection coverage. Exploit tooling should only ever be used in isolated, authorized testing environments.

When was CVE-2022-40684 published, and has it been updated?

CVE-2022-40684 was published on October 18, 2022 and was last updated on June 17, 2026. Advisory data evolves as severity scores, affected ranges, and exploit intelligence are revised — always check the latest version of the advisory before acting.

CISA KEV·Added 2022-10-11 — agencies required to remediate by 2022-11-01 · Ransomware

CVE-2022-40684

CRITICAL

An authentication bypass using an alternate path or channel [CWE-288] in Fortinet FortiOS version 7.2.0 through 7.2.1 and 7.0.0 through 7.0.6, FortiProxy version 7.2.0 and version 7.0.0…

Published

Oct 18, 2022

Updated

Jun 17, 2026

Affected

0 pkgs

Patched

None yet

Exploits

36 known

EPSS Exploitation Probability

via FIRST.org ↗

100.0%probability of exploitation in next 30 days

Very High Risk100th percentile0.00%

EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) is a daily probability model maintained by FIRST.org. It estimates the likelihood a CVE will be exploited in production environments within the next 30 days, derived from real-world threat intelligence signals.

Description

An authentication bypass using an alternate path or channel [CWE-288] in Fortinet FortiOS version 7.2.0 through 7.2.1 and 7.0.0 through 7.0.6, FortiProxy version 7.2.0 and version 7.0.0 through 7.0.6 and FortiSwitchManager version 7.2.0 and 7.0.0 allows an unauthenticated atttacker to perform operations on the administrative interface via specially crafted HTTP or HTTPS requests.

Affected Products

3 products · 6 configurations

fortiosfortinet

≥ 7.2.0 && < 7.2.2

range

Application

fortiproxyfortinet

≥ 7.0.0 && < 7.0.7

1 version

7.2.0

Application

fortiswitchmanagerfortinet

2 versions

7.0.07.2.0

Exploits & PoCs

Research use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.

EDB-52239remotewindows

Fortinet FortiOS_ FortiProxy_ and FortiSwitchManager 7.2.0 - Authentication bypass

by ub3rsick · Apr 16, 2025

Exploit-DB Source

EDB-51092webappsmultiple

FortiOS_ FortiProxy_ FortiSwitchManager v7.2.1 - Authentication Bypass

by Felipe Alcantara · Mar 27, 2023

Exploit-DB Source

Detection & mitigation playbook

Vendor / appliance

Detect
Inventory every fortinet fortios deployment and check each version against the affected-products list above. Because the exploit targets the running system rather than your application code, also watch for exploitation at the network and runtime layer — O3 flags the exploit behaviour from runtime telemetry and egress traffic even before a vulnerable build is confirmed.
Fix
Apply the fortinet fortios security patch or hotfix for CVE-2022-40684 on the affected version, following the vendor advisory for your exact build.
Workarounds
Cut exposure now: restrict the management/admin interface to trusted networks, segment the device, and apply the vendor's recommended configuration mitigations and any WAF/IPS signature. O3's runtime protection blocks the exploit chain at execution, holding the line on unpatched or end-of-life systems until you can patch.
How O3 protects you
O3 detects and blocks CVE-2022-40684 exploitation at runtime: eBPF exploit-chain detection, plus L7 egress monitoring that catches the post-exploitation callback and severs the attacker's outbound channel.

Tailored to CVE-2022-40684. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.

Frequently Asked Questions

O3 Security · Runtime Protection

Is CVE-2022-40684 being exploited in your environment?

O3's eBPF runtime sensors and L7 egress monitoring detect and block the CVE-2022-40684 exploit chain at execution — protecting unpatched and end-of-life systems until the vendor patch is applied.

Protect my workloads How runtime protection works