Cyber Resilience

CVE-2025-46373

Memory Safety in Fortinet Forticlient 7.2.0 – 7.2.9

Published
18 November 2025
Modified
16 December 2025
Patch / advisory
CVSS Score v3.1 7.8
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS Score 0.0015 5th percentile
Risk Priority 55 floored blend · peak EPSS

Summary

CVE-2025-46373 is a high-severity Heap-based Buffer Overflow (CWE-122) vulnerability in Fortinet Forticlient. Its CVSS base score is 7.8 (High).

Operationally, ranked at the 5th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

The strongest mitigations our analysis identified map to SI-16 (Memory Protection) and SI-2 (Flaw Remediation) — see the control section below for these in your framework.

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

A Heap-based Buffer Overflow vulnerability [CWE-122] vulnerability in Fortinet FortiClientWindows 7.4.0 through 7.4.3, FortiClientWindows 7.2.0 through 7.2.8 may allow an authenticated local IPSec user to execute arbitrary code or commands via "fortips_74.sys". The attacker would need to bypass the Windows…

more

heap integrity protections

CWE(s)

Related Threats

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2024-36507Same product: Fortinet Forticlient
CVE-2023-37939Same product: Fortinet Forticlient
CVE-2023-22635Same product: Fortinet Forticlient
CVE-2024-50564Same product: Fortinet Forticlient
CVE-2025-47761Same product: Fortinet Forticlient
CVE-2024-52968Same product: Fortinet Forticlient
CVE-2025-24473Same product: Fortinet Forticlient
CVE-2024-50570Same product: Fortinet Forticlient
CVE-2023-33304Same product: Fortinet Forticlient
CVE-2025-31365Same product: Fortinet Forticlient

Affected Assets

fortinet
forticlient
7.2.0 — 7.2.9 · 7.4.0 — 7.4.4

Mitigating Controls

Control response

Prevent
Stop it (NIST 800-53)
Detect
Catch it (NIST detect / respond)

Harden
Shrink the surface (DISA STIG)

Validate
Prove the fix (OWASP ASVS)
  • V1.4.1

Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI

prevent

Directly enforces memory protections (e.g., heap integrity checks) that the attacker must bypass to exploit the heap buffer overflow in fortips_74.sys.

prevent

Requires timely patching of the vulnerable FortiClient driver versions to eliminate the CWE-122 flaw before local exploitation can succeed.

prevent

Restricts privileges of authenticated IPSec users so they cannot reach or abuse the kernel driver interface needed for arbitrary code execution.

Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

PR.PS-06 full match
prevents

Secure-development practices directly require bounds checking and safe memory handling that prevent heap overflows.

ID.RA-01 partial match
prevents

Vulnerability scanning and recording can discover heap-overflow flaws but does not prevent their introduction in code.

PR.PS-02 partial match
prevents

Timely patching removes known heap-overflow instances after they exist.

Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

detects

Security testing in development and acceptance can detect heap overflows before release.

prevents

Secure development lifecycle mandates practices that reduce the likelihood of introducing heap overflows.

prevents

Application security requirements can specify bounds-checking and safe memory APIs that mitigate heap overflows.

prevents

Secure architecture and engineering principles include memory-safety and input-validation controls that address heap overflows.

prevents

Secure coding standards directly prescribe techniques (safe functions, bounds checks) that prevent heap-based buffer overflows.

none

Change management ensures controlled deployment of fixes for discovered heap-overflow vulnerabilities.

References