Is CVE-2026-35616 exploited in the wild?

Yes. CVE-2026-35616 is known to be exploited in the wild, first recorded on 6 April 2026. Treat it as urgent.

How severe is CVE-2026-35616?

Critical severity, with a CVSS score of 9.8, published 4 April 2026.

Which products and versions are affected?

Fortinet FortiClient EMS 7.4.5 through 7.4.6; Fortinet Forticlientems 7.4.5 through 7.4.6.

Is there a fix for CVE-2026-35616?

No fixed version is recorded yet. Check the vendor's advisory in the references below. If you run it, Junglewise drafts a mitigation that fits your setup and applies it once you approve, with senior security engineers behind it.

How is CVE-2026-35616 attacked?

It is attacked over the network, in a network appliance.

Am I affected by CVE-2026-35616?

Check whether you run Fortinet FortiClient EMS or Fortinet Forticlientems at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

CVE-2026-35616: Fortinet FortiClientEMS improper access control in API

CVE-2026-35616 · Severity: critical · CVSS 9.8 · Exploited in the wild · Published 2026-04-04

FortiClient EMS is a management platform used by organizations to deploy and manage endpoint security software across their network. A critical security flaw in this system allows an unauthenticated attacker to remotely execute commands or malicious code. This could lead to a total compromise of the management server, potentially allowing the attacker to gain control over all connected employee devices or disrupt corporate security operations.

Technologies: Fortinet FortiClient EMS, Fortinet Forticlientems. Vendors: Fortinet.

Quick answers

Is CVE-2026-35616 exploited in the wild?: Yes. CVE-2026-35616 is known to be exploited in the wild, first recorded on 6 April 2026. Treat it as urgent.
How severe is CVE-2026-35616?: Critical severity, with a CVSS score of 9.8, published 4 April 2026.
Which products and versions are affected?: Fortinet FortiClient EMS 7.4.5 through 7.4.6; Fortinet Forticlientems 7.4.5 through 7.4.6.
Is there a fix for CVE-2026-35616?: No fixed version is recorded yet. Check the vendor's advisory in the references below. If you run it, Junglewise drafts a mitigation that fits your setup and applies it once you approve, with senior security engineers behind it.
How is CVE-2026-35616 attacked?: It is attacked over the network, in a network appliance.
Am I affected by CVE-2026-35616?: Check whether you run Fortinet FortiClient EMS or Fortinet Forticlientems at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

Technical details

An improper access control vulnerability (CWE-284) exists within the API component of Fortinet FortiClientEMS versions 7.4.5 and 7.4.6. The flaw allows a remote, unauthenticated attacker to bypass authorization checks and execute arbitrary code or system commands by sending specially crafted network requests to the management interface. This vulnerability has a CVSS score of 9.8 and has been confirmed by the vendor and CISA to be exploited in the wild. Fortinet has released hotfixes for the affected versions and recommends upgrading to version 7.4.7 or higher to permanently resolve the issue.

Affected products

Fortinet FortiClientEMS 7.4.5 through 7.4.6

Timeline

2026-04-03: disclosed: Initial CVE record received from Fortinet
2026-04-04: advisory: Fortinet published PSIRT advisory FG-IR-26-099
2026-04-04: exploited: Fortinet confirmed exploitation in the wild in their advisory
2026-04-06: kev added: CISA added the vulnerability to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog

References

https://fortiguard.fortinet.com/psirt/FG-IR-26-099

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