CVE-2025-68686: Fortinet FortiOS

Should you act?

Exploited: patch now if you run it

CISA has confirmed exploitation in the wild. This signal is computed from CISA KEV, EPSS and CVSS data; it is not an editorial verdict.

Yes, if you run Fortinet FortiOS. CISA added this CVE to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2026-07-27, which means there is reliable evidence of exploitation in the wild. US federal agencies must remediate by 2026-08-10; treat that as the outer limit, not the target.
EPSS 29.5%, percentile 98: FIRST’s model estimates a 29.5% chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 98% of all scored CVEs (very high). EPSS is a probability, not a verdict.
Remotely reachable with no login and no user interaction. If the vulnerable service is exposed to the internet, prioritize it.
Editorial verdict: Check exposure. FortiOS CVE-2025-68686: SSL-VPN Symlink Patch Bypass in KEV — This is not a way in, only a way to stay in on FortiGates that ran SSL-VPN and were already breached; the real problem is that FortiOS 7.2, 7.0 and 6.4 will never get a fix, so plan the move to 7.4.7+ or 7.6.2+.

What it is

An Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor vulnerability [CWE-200] vulnerability in Fortinet FortiOS 7.6.0 through 7.6.1, FortiOS 7.4.0 through 7.4.6, FortiOS 7.2 all versions, FortiOS 7.0 all versions, FortiOS 6.4 all versions may allow a remote unauthenticated attacker to bypass the patch developed for the symbolic link persistency mechanism observed in some post-exploit cases, via crafted HTTP requests. An attacker would need first to have compromised the product via another vulnerability, at filesystem level.

CISA’s summary

Fortinet FortiOS contains an exposure of sensitive information to an unauthorized actor vulnerability. This may allow a remote unauthenticated attacker to bypass the patch developed for the symbolic link persistency mechanism observed in some post-exploit cases, via crafted HTTP requests. An attacker would need first to have compromised the product via another vulnerability, at filesystem level.

Weakness type: CWE-200.

Product: Fortinet FortiOS · Assigned by: fortinet · Published: 2026-02-10

Affected and fixed versions

Vendor	Product	Affected versions (per CVE record)
Fortinet	FortiOS	7.6.0 <= 7.6.1, 7.4.0 <= 7.4.6, 7.2.0 <= 7.2.13, 7.0.0 <= 7.0.19, 6.4.0 <= 6.4.16

Severity scores

Scored by	CVSS	Score	Vector
fortinet	3.1	5.3 Medium	`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N/E:P/RL:O/RC:C`

Attack vector: network (remotely reachable)
Attack complexity: high (needs special conditions)
Privileges required: none (no login)
User interaction: none
Scope: unchanged

CVSS measures how bad a flaw is if exploited, not how likely exploitation is. Read it next to the exploitation data below.

Exploitation and urgency

CISA KEV: added 2026-07-27; federal due date 2026-08-10. Known ransomware use: Unknown.
CISA required action: Apply mitigations in accordance with vendor instructions, ensuring compliance with CISA’s BOD 26-04 Prioritizing Security Updates Based on Risk (see URL in Notes) guidance and CISA’s “Forensics Triage Requirements” (see URL in Notes). Follow applicable BOD 26-04 guidance for cloud services or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable. Stakeholders are responsible for evaluating each asset's internet exposure and ensuring adherence to BOD 26-04 patching guidelines.
CISA SSVC assessment: exploitation active, automatable no, technical impact partial.
FIRST EPSS (model of 2026-10-21): 29.50% probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 98.

Timeline

2026-02-10 — CVE record published by fortinet
2026-02-10 — erroneo.us brief: FortiOS CVE-2025-68686: SSL-VPN Symlink Patch Bypass in KEV
2026-07-27 — Added to CISA’s Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog
2026-07-28 — CVE record last updated
2026-08-10 — CISA remediation deadline for US federal agencies

Sources and references

Original sources first. Version and fix details should always be confirmed against the vendor or project advisory.