{ "id": "278ba566-41af-4bc9-b512-fdc10ec290ee", "created_at": "2026-04-06T00:16:01.692529Z", "updated_at": "2026-04-10T03:30:45.936353Z", "deleted_at": null, "sha1_hash": "2a95ef7c02b941d99ed61e484270302d7e6e8f4d", "title": "FortiGate Firewall Configs Dumped: Revisiting CVE-2022-40684 Exploitation", "llm_title": "", "authors": "", "file_creation_date": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z", "file_modification_date": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z", "file_size": 65289, "plain_text": "FortiGate Firewall Configs Dumped: Revisiting CVE-2022-40684\r\nExploitation\r\nPublished: 2025-01-16 · Archived: 2026-04-02 11:58:30 UTC\r\n1. Home\r\n2. Blog\r\n3. Cyber News\r\n4. FortiGate Firewall Configs Dumped: Revisiting CVE-2022-40684 Exploitation\r\n[Update] January 18, 2025: “Fortinet’s Official Statement on the Breach”\r\nIn a shocking development, the fallout from the 2022 Fortinet vulnerability, CVE-2022-40684, has resurfaced\r\nwith severe consequences. A newly emerged group, Belsen Group, has released configurations from over 15,000\r\ncompromised FortiGate firewalls.\r\nThis breach not only exposes usernames, passwords (some in plaintext), and VPN credentials but also includes\r\ncritical firewall rules, IP addresses, and digital certificates, underscoring the lingering impact of vulnerabilities\r\neven years after patching.\r\nThe Exploit: A Critical Authentication Bypass\r\nOriginally discovered in 2022, CVE-2022-40684 was a severe authentication bypass vulnerability with a CVSS\r\nscore of 9.8. Exploited actively in the wild, it allowed remote attackers to gain administrative access to Fortinet\r\ndevices via specially crafted HTTP or HTTPS requests. Vulnerable versions included FortiOS (7.0.0–7.0.6 and\r\n7.2.0–7.2.1), FortiProxy (7.0.0–7.0.6 and 7.2.0), and FortiSwitchManager (7.0.0 and 7.2.0).\r\nVulnerability card of CVE-2022-40684 (SOCRadar Vulnerability Intelligence)\r\nThough patches were promptly issued by Fortinet, reports emerged of attackers exploiting unpatched systems,\r\nleading to unauthorized access to sensitive configurations. GreyNoise and Shodan searches during the exploit’s\r\npeak highlighted over 165,000 publicly exposed FortiGate firewalls, indicating the scope of the threat.\r\nThe Fallout: 2022 Exploits Surface in 2025\r\nThe Belsen Group’s recent release of compromised firewall configurations reveals that many organizations were\r\nexploited before patching their systems. The leaked data includes detailed configurations and\r\nplaintext VPN credentials, posing significant risks:\r\nNetwork security compromised: Attackers now have access to detailed firewall rules, potentially\r\nenabling them to evade defenses.\r\nCredential exposure: Plaintext usernames and passwords increase the risk of further breaches.\r\nhttps://socradar.io/fortigate-firewall-configs-cve-2022-40684-exploitation/\r\nPage 1 of 4\n\nGeographical exposure: The dump is categorized by country, making it easier for threat actors to target\r\nspecific regions.\r\nIP Address Context: Each folder in the leaked dump includes IP addresses linked to individual\r\nconfigurations, making it simpler for attackers to target and exploit devices.\r\nTop Countries Affected\r\nThrough analysis of the affected IP addresses, SOCRadar identified the top countries impacted by this breach.\r\nMexico and the United Arab Emirates led the list, with 1,603 devices (10.34%) and 1,081 devices\r\n(6.98%) affected, respectively. Notably, the top 10 affected countries accounted for more than 51% of the\r\nimpacted devices across the 144 affected countries. The remaining top 10 countries, including Thailand,\r\nMalaysia, and the United States, are displayed in the accompanying graph.\r\nThis data showcases the widespread nature of the exploit, leaving organizations across various regions vulnerable\r\nto potential attacks.\r\nSimilarities to CVE-2024-55591\r\nThe recent disclosure of CVE-2024-55591 underscores the ongoing risks associated with Fortinet devices. While\r\nthe security researcher Kevin Beaumont confirmed that the Belsen Group exploited CVE-2022-40684 to gain\r\naccess to and leak FortiGate configurations, he also warned that similar threat actors may target the newly\r\ndiscovered CVE-2024-55591. Despite their technical differences, both vulnerabilities exposed critical\r\nadministrative controls on Fortinet systems, allowing attackers to make unauthorized configuration changes and\r\ncompromise VPN credentials.\r\nDark web announcement by Belsen Group showcasing leaked configurations and credentials\r\nKaushík Pał emphasized the importance of patching both vulnerabilities, noting that attackers who exploited the\r\n2022 zero-day may already be planning how to exploit CVE-2024-55591. This is consistent with broader trends in\r\nthe cybersecurity landscape, in which advanced threat actors frequently repurpose successful methodologies for\r\nnew vulnerabilities to broaden their attack scope. Both incidents highlight the importance of securing\r\nadministrative interfaces, applying patches quickly, and constantly monitoring for signs of compromise.\r\nAccording to the lifecycle findings in SOCRadar’s Vulnerability Intelligence module, CVE-2024-55591 has\r\ngained attention on social platforms like Telegram, where it has been mentioned multiple times across different\r\nchannels.\r\nSOCRadar’s Vulnerability Intelligence module Vulnerability Lifecycle\r\nThe timeline shows a significant increase in discussions and activity related to this vulnerability, indicating\r\ngrowing interest from users—and potentially threat actors. This highlights the urgency for organizations to\r\nmonitor such developments and act swiftly to protect their systems.\r\nLessons Learned: Patch and Monitor\r\nhttps://socradar.io/fortigate-firewall-configs-cve-2022-40684-exploitation/\r\nPage 2 of 4\n\nEven if organizations patched CVE-2022-40684 in late 2022, the stolen data may have already been exfiltrated\r\nand exploited. This emphasizes the importance of proactive patch management and monitoring for Indicators of\r\nCompromise (IoCs). Logs should be examined for suspicious activity, such as:\r\nuser=”Local_Process_Access”\r\nuser_interface=”Node.js” or “Report Runner”\r\nMitigation and Next Steps\r\nTo mitigate the risks associated with this breach, organizations should:\r\n1. Change device credentials immediately for all affected Fortinet devices.\r\n2. Reassess firewall rules to identify potential vulnerabilities revealed by the leaked configurations.\r\n3. Implement additional security layers, such as IP restrictions and disabling public-facing administrative\r\ninterfaces.\r\n4. Adopt proactive vulnerability intelligence platforms like SOCRadar to monitor exposed data and\r\nmitigate risks.\r\nFortinet’s Official Statement on the Breach\r\nFortinet has issued a detailed statement responding to the Belsen Group’s recent claims about leaked FortiGate\r\nfirewall configurations and VPN credentials. According to their analysis, the data comes from older campaigns\r\nthat exploited CVE-2022-40684, not any recent vulnerabilities or incidents. The exposed data, organized by\r\ncountry and IP address, primarily consists of configurations from FortiOS 7.0.6 and 7.2.1, the last vulnerable\r\nversions before patches were released in 2022.\r\nAccording to Fortinet’s investigation, the leaked data also includes IoCs related to previous vulnerabilities, such as\r\nFG-IR-22-377 and FG-IR-18-384, indicating that the threat actor repackaged outdated information to appear as a\r\nnew disclosure. Organizations that have consistently followed Fortinet’s best practices, such as upgrading to\r\nsupported versions of FortiOS and refreshing credentials, are at low risk from this vulnerability. Fortinet also\r\nconfirmed that devices purchased after December 2022 or running FortiOS 7.2.2 and higher are unaffected by the\r\nleak.\r\nRecommended Actions by Fortinet:\r\n1. Ensure your FortiGate devices are updated to the latest FortiOS versions.\r\n2. Validate configurations for unauthorized changes using Fortinet’s detailed IoCs.\r\n3. Adhere to routine credential-refreshing practices.\r\nBoost Your Cyber Defense with SOCRadar’s Threat Hunting Module\r\nIn a space where advanced threats and zero-day vulnerabilities can go undetected for months, proactive threat\r\nhunting is no longer an option; it’s required. SOCRadar’s Threat Hunting module enables organizations to\r\nidentify hidden threats before they escalate. Security teams can quickly identify malicious activities and improve\r\nhttps://socradar.io/fortigate-firewall-configs-cve-2022-40684-exploitation/\r\nPage 3 of 4\n\nincident response capabilities by leveraging actionable intelligence, automated IOC searches, and advanced\r\ncorrelation techniques.\r\nTrack and investigate emerging threats in real time with SOCRadar’s Threat Hunting module\r\nSOCRadar provides real-time insights and in-depth analytics to help your team stay ahead of evolving cyber\r\nthreats such as the recent FortiGate exploits. With SOCRadar’s Threat Hunting module, you can proactively\r\ndefend your digital ecosystem rather than waiting for the next breach. Explore how it can improve your security\r\noperations today.\r\nLooking Forward\r\nThe FortiGate exploit highlights the enduring danger of delayed patching and the long-term consequences of zero-day vulnerabilities. With over 15,000 firewalls exposed, the need for continuous monitoring, robust incident\r\nresponse plans, and comprehensive cybersecurity measures has never been clearer. Tools like SOCRadar\r\nVulnerability Intelligence can play a critical role in helping organizations stay informed and secure against\r\nevolving threats.\r\nSource: https://socradar.io/fortigate-firewall-configs-cve-2022-40684-exploitation/\r\nhttps://socradar.io/fortigate-firewall-configs-cve-2022-40684-exploitation/\r\nPage 4 of 4", "extraction_quality": 1, "language": "EN", "sources": [ "MISPGALAXY", "Malpedia" ], "references": [ "https://socradar.io/fortigate-firewall-configs-cve-2022-40684-exploitation/" ], "report_names": [ "fortigate-firewall-configs-cve-2022-40684-exploitation" ], "threat_actors": [ { "id": "935634ac-d19e-46aa-a74d-4930da0aa379", "created_at": "2025-01-21T02:00:03.601372Z", "updated_at": "2026-04-10T02:00:03.806016Z", "deleted_at": null, "main_name": "Belsen Group", "aliases": [], "source_name": "MISPGALAXY:Belsen Group", "tools": [], "source_id": "MISPGALAXY", "reports": null } ], "ts_created_at": 1775434561, "ts_updated_at": 1775791845, "ts_creation_date": 0, "ts_modification_date": 0, "files": { "pdf": "https://archive.orkl.eu/2a95ef7c02b941d99ed61e484270302d7e6e8f4d.pdf", "text": "https://archive.orkl.eu/2a95ef7c02b941d99ed61e484270302d7e6e8f4d.txt", "img": "https://archive.orkl.eu/2a95ef7c02b941d99ed61e484270302d7e6e8f4d.jpg" } }