CVE-2025-46774 Overview
CVE-2025-46774 is an Improper Verification of Cryptographic Signature vulnerability [CWE-347] affecting the FortiClient installer for macOS. The flaw allows a locally authenticated user to escalate privileges by abusing FortiClient-related executables that do not properly validate cryptographic signatures. Fortinet disclosed the issue in advisory FG-IR-25-126, published to NVD on October 14, 2025.
Critical Impact
A local attacker with low-privileged access to a macOS endpoint can achieve full compromise of confidentiality, integrity, and availability by leveraging trusted FortiClient binaries to execute code at elevated privilege.
Affected Products
- Fortinet FortiClient for macOS versions 7.4.0 through 7.4.2
- Fortinet FortiClient for macOS versions 7.2.0 through 7.2.9
- Fortinet FortiClient for macOS 7.0, all versions
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-10-14 - CVE-2025-46774 published to the National Vulnerability Database
- 2025-10-14 - Fortinet publishes security advisory FG-IR-25-126
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-46774
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability resides in the FortiClient macOS installer and associated executables. FortiClient installs helper components that run with elevated privileges to perform configuration, VPN tunneling, and endpoint management tasks. Because signature verification is not properly enforced on FortiClient-related executables, a local user can substitute or tamper with executables loaded by these privileged components.
The attacker requires prior local access with low privileges and no user interaction. Successful exploitation yields code execution in the context of a privileged FortiClient process, resulting in local privilege escalation on the affected macOS host.
Root Cause
The root cause is improper verification of cryptographic signatures [CWE-347] on binaries or libraries loaded by FortiClient. Trust boundaries between the privileged installer or helper process and the executables it invokes are not enforced through code signature validation. This gap permits execution of attacker-controlled code by an otherwise trusted, privileged parent process.
Attack Vector
Exploitation is local. An attacker with an authenticated shell on the macOS system stages a malicious binary or library where a FortiClient privileged component will load or execute it. When the FortiClient installer or helper runs, the unverified executable inherits elevated privileges. No user interaction is required, and the attack complexity is low. Public proof-of-concept code is not currently available, and the vulnerability is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.
Refer to Fortinet Security Advisory FG-IR-25-126 for vendor technical details.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-46774
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected executables or dynamic libraries in FortiClient installation directories under /Applications/FortiClient.app/ or /Library/Application Support/Fortinet/.
- Child processes spawned by FortiClient helper daemons that are not signed by Fortinet or that lack a valid Developer ID signature.
- New setuid or launch daemon entries under /Library/LaunchDaemons/ referencing FortiClient components created outside of a legitimate install or upgrade window.
Detection Strategies
- Verify code signatures on all FortiClient binaries using codesign --verify --deep --strict and alert on any binary that fails validation.
- Correlate process ancestry to identify FortiClient privileged processes executing unsigned or non-Fortinet-signed child binaries.
- Baseline expected FortiClient file paths and hashes, then alert on modifications to executables and libraries within those paths.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable endpoint telemetry for process execution, file writes, and library loads within FortiClient directories on macOS hosts.
- Monitor for privilege transitions where a low-privileged user session triggers a root-owned FortiClient process execution.
- Alert on installer package executions (installer, pkgutil) targeting FortiClient outside of approved change windows.
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-46774
Immediate Actions Required
- Upgrade FortiClient for macOS to a fixed release as specified in FG-IR-25-126.
- Inventory all macOS endpoints running FortiClient 7.0.x, 7.2.9 or earlier, and 7.4.2 or earlier, and prioritize patching.
- Restrict local shell access on macOS endpoints running vulnerable FortiClient versions until patches are applied.
Patch Information
Fortinet has released updated FortiClient for macOS builds that address the signature verification flaw. Review the fixed version matrix in Fortinet Security Advisory FG-IR-25-126 and deploy the corresponding upgrade for each affected branch.
Workarounds
- No vendor-provided workaround is documented; upgrading is the supported remediation path.
- As a compensating control, remove FortiClient from endpoints where it is not required until patched builds are deployed.
- Enforce macOS System Integrity Protection (SIP) and Gatekeeper policies to reduce the risk of unsigned code execution on affected hosts.
# Verify installed FortiClient version and code signature on macOS
system_profiler SPApplicationsDataType | grep -A 4 "FortiClient"
codesign --verify --deep --strict --verbose=2 /Applications/FortiClient.app
spctl --assess --type execute --verbose /Applications/FortiClient.app
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
