CVE-2021-44168: Fortinet FortiOS Arbitrary File Download

Reference page built from the source records below, each shown as its source publishes it. Dataset version ref-5785e4815acd, updated 2026-11-02T23:39:54.475Z.

CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities

Name: Fortinet FortiOS Arbitrary File Download
Vendor: Fortinet
Product: FortiOS
Added to the catalog: 2021-12-10
Due date for US federal agencies: 2021-12-24
Weaknesses: CWE-494
Catalog version: 2026.10.30

Fortinet FortiOS "execute restore src-vis" downloads code without integrity checking, allowing an attacker to arbitrarily download files.

Required action (CISA)

Apply updates per vendor instructions.

Ransomware use: CISA does not mark known use of this vulnerability in ransomware campaigns.

Links in CISA's notes

https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-44168

Read on 2026-11-02T23:39:54.475Z under licence cisa-kev-cc0@b0067899 from https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/feeds/known_exploited_vulnerabilities.json

NVD analysis

Status: Analyzed
Published: 2022-01-04T13:15:07.957
Last modified: 2026-06-17T04:11:59.317
Weaknesses: CWE-494

A download of code without integrity check vulnerability in the "execute restore src-vis" command of FortiOS before 7.0.3 may allow a local authenticated attacker to download arbitrary files on the device via specially crafted update packages.

Metric	Score	Severity	Vector	Scored by
CVSS 3.1	3.3	LOW	CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N	[email protected] (Secondary)
CVSS 3.1	7.8	HIGH	CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H	[email protected] (Primary)
CVSS 2.0	4.6	MEDIUM	AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P	[email protected] (Primary)

References

https://fortiguard.com/psirt/FG-IR-21-201 (Vendor Advisory)
https://fortiguard.com/psirt/FG-IR-21-201 (Vendor Advisory)
https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2021-44168 (US Government Resource)

This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD.

Read on 2026-11-02T23:41:59.479Z under licence nvd-api-terms-of-use@ff2a5288 from https://services.nvd.nist.gov/rest/json/cves/2.0?cveId=CVE-2021-44168

CVE record

Assigner: fortinet
State: PUBLISHED
Published: 2022-01-04T12:38:04.000Z
Updated: 2025-10-21T23:15:50.019Z
Problem types: Execute unauthorized code or commands

References

https://fortiguard.com/psirt/FG-IR-21-201

Read on 2026-11-03T01:09:17.461Z under licence cve-terms-of-use@81bfa2f3 from https://raw.githubusercontent.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/main/cves/2021/44xxx/CVE-2021-44168.json

Defensive techniques (MITRE D3FEND)

D3FEND maps these defensive techniques to the weakness (CWE) that NVD lists for this CVE, through the digital artifacts the weakness affects. D3FEND does not say they stop this vulnerability.

CWE-494: Download of Code Without Integrity Check

D3FEND lists no defensive technique for this weakness.

D3FEND ontology version 1.6.0.

Read on 2026-11-02T23:56:52.606Z under licence d3fend-terms-of-use@f98cbc7e from https://d3fend.mitre.org/api/weakness/cwe/CWE-494.json

MITRE D3FEND™ knowledge graph. © 2025 The MITRE Corporation.
"The MITRE Corporation (MITRE) hereby grants you a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use D3FEND for research, development, and commercial purposes. Any copy you make for such purposes is authorized provided that you reproduce MITRE's copyright designation and this license in any such copy." Terms: https://d3fend.mitre.org/tou/

Sources and licences

CISA
Source: CISA Catalog of Known Exploited Vulnerabilities, version 2026.10.30, CC0 1.0. Use of this data does not imply endorsement by CISA or DHS.
CC0 1.0 Universal
National Vulnerability Database (NIST)
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD.
NVD API Terms of Use (NIST publications in the public domain, 17 U.S.C. 105)
CVE Program, The MITRE Corporation
Copyright © 1999-2026, The MITRE Corporation. CVE is a trademark and the CVE logo is a registered trademark of The MITRE Corporation. CVE Usage: MITRE hereby grants you a perpetual, worldwide, non-exclusive, no-charge, royalty-free, irrevocable copyright license to reproduce, prepare derivative works of, publicly display, publicly perform, sublicense, and distribute Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE™). Any copy you make for such purposes is authorized provided that you reproduce MITRE's copyright designation and this license in any such copy.
CVE Program Terms of Use ("CVE Usage" licence)
MITRE D3FEND
MITRE D3FEND™ knowledge graph. © 2025 The MITRE Corporation.
"The MITRE Corporation (MITRE) hereby grants you a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use D3FEND for research, development, and commercial purposes. Any copy you make for such purposes is authorized provided that you reproduce MITRE's copyright designation and this license in any such copy." Terms: https://d3fend.mitre.org/tou/
MITRE D3FEND Terms of Use (site + knowledge graph); source repo MIT

Cite this page

Dragons Eye Ransomware Tracker, "CVE-2021-44168: Fortinet FortiOS Arbitrary File Download",
entity page, dataset version ref-5785e4815acd, updated 2026-11-02T23:39:54.475Z,
https://ransomware-tracker.com/cve/CVE-2021-44168 (accessed 2026-11-03).
Underlying source: CISA Catalog of Known Exploited Vulnerabilities, version 2026.10.30.
Underlying source: National Vulnerability Database (NIST), CVE API 2.0, record last modified 2026-06-17T04:11:59.317.
Underlying source: CVE List (CVE Program, The MITRE Corporation), record updated 2025-10-21T23:15:50.019Z.
Underlying source: MITRE D3FEND, ontology version 1.6.0.

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CISA KEV index