Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
This FortiOS issue affects versions before 7.0.3. A local authenticated attacker could abuse a restore-related command path using specially crafted update packages, creating limited integrity impact on the device. The CVSS score is low, but the CISA KEV listing raises operational urgency.
Executive priority
Treat as a near-term remediation item for FortiOS assets, despite low CVSS, because CISA KEV indicates known exploitation.
Technical view
CVE-2021-44168 is a CWE-494 download-without-integrity-check flaw in FortiOS before 7.0.3, tied to the "execute restore src-vis" command. The published vector is local, low complexity, low privileges, no user interaction, unchanged scope, integrity-only impact.
Likely exposure
Exposure is limited to Fortinet FortiOS deployments running versions before 7.0.3, especially where authenticated local or administrative access exists.
Exploitation context
CISA lists CVE-2021-44168 in the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, supporting known exploitation status. The provided data does not describe public exploit mechanics, scale, or targeting details.
Researcher notes
Evidence supports a local authenticated integrity-impact issue in FortiOS before 7.0.3. The source bundle does not provide exploit details, indicators of compromise, or affected FortiOS branches beyond the stated version boundary.
Mitigation direction
- Upgrade affected FortiOS systems to 7.0.3 or later per the affected-version boundary.
- Review Fortinet advisory FG-IR-21-201 for vendor-specific remediation guidance.
- Restrict trusted administrative access to FortiOS management surfaces.
- Audit accounts with local authenticated access to FortiOS devices.
- Monitor Fortinet advisories for any updated guidance or affected-version changes.
Validation and detection
- Inventory FortiOS versions and identify any systems before 7.0.3.
- Confirm whether exposed devices allow local authenticated administrative access.
- Review device logs for unusual restore or update-package activity.
- Verify remediation by confirming FortiOS version is 7.0.3 or later.
- Check vulnerability management tools for CVE-2021-44168 detection coverage.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CWE-494: Exact CWE lookup
Use the exact CWE identifier as the starting point before reviewing related ATT&CK behavior. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2021-44168 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- Low
- CVSS
- 3.3 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- Yes
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N/E:P/RL:U/RC:C
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CISA KEV status
CVSS vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N/E:P/RL:U/RC:C1.81.4Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
3.3LowVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N/E:P/RL:U/RC:C
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://fortiguard.com/psirt/FG-IR-21-201CVE reference · x_refsource_CONFIRM
- https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2021-44168CVE reference · government-resource
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.