How severe is CVE-2022-40684?

CVE-2022-40684 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2022-40684 being actively exploited?

Yes. CVE-2022-40684 is on CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, added on 2022-10-11, which means active exploitation has been confirmed. It should be prioritised for remediation.

What products are affected by CVE-2022-40684?

CVE-2022-40684 primarily affects Fortinet Fortiproxy. In total, 5 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2022-40684?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Because this CVE is known to be actively exploited, treat remediation as urgent — CISA KEV typically sets a short remediation deadline.

Does CVE-2022-40684 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?

Yes. CVE-2022-40684 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2022-43955. It is also flagged as exploited in the EUVD (since 2022-10-11).

When was CVE-2022-40684 published?

CVE-2022-40684 was published on 2022-10-18 and last updated on 2026-08-06.

CVE-2022-40684

CVE-2022-40684 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Fortinet Fortiproxy with a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8. It is listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, confirming it has been exploited in the wild (added 2022-10-11). The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-287.

Key facts

Severity: Critical (CVSS 3.x base score 9.8)
EPSS exploit prediction: 100% (100th percentile)
Actively exploited: Yes — listed in CISA KEV (added 2022-10-11)
EU (EUVD) id: EUVD-2022-43955
EU exploitation: Flagged exploited in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (since 2022-10-11)
Weakness: CWE-287
Affected product: Fortinet Fortiproxy
Published: 2022-10-18
Last modified: 2026-08-06

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.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2022-40684?: 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.
How severe is CVE-2022-40684?: CVE-2022-40684 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2022-40684 being actively exploited?: Yes. CVE-2022-40684 is on CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, added on 2022-10-11, which means active exploitation has been confirmed. It should be prioritised for remediation.
What products are affected by CVE-2022-40684?: CVE-2022-40684 primarily affects Fortinet Fortiproxy. In total, 5 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2022-40684?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Because this CVE is known to be actively exploited, treat remediation as urgent — CISA KEV typically sets a short remediation deadline.
Does CVE-2022-40684 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?: Yes. CVE-2022-40684 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2022-43955. It is also flagged as exploited in the EUVD (since 2022-10-11).
When was CVE-2022-40684 published?: CVE-2022-40684 was published on 2022-10-18 and last updated on 2026-08-06.

References

Affected products (5)

cpe:2.3:a:fortinet:fortiproxy:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:fortinet:fortiproxy:7.2.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:fortinet:fortiswitchmanager:7.0.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:fortinet:fortiswitchmanager:7.2.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fortinet:fortios:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

More vulnerabilities in Fortinet Fortiproxy

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Other CWE-287 (Improper Authentication) vulnerabilities

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CVE-2026-56162 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Improper authentication in Azure SQL Database allows an unauthorized attacker to elevate privileges over a network.
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