Threats / Fortinet / CVE-2019-6693
CVE-2019-6693
· EUVD no mirror located
· GCVE no mirror located
Verified 2026-06-22
Fortinet FortiOS vulnerability
Fortinet FortiOS uses hard-coded credentials to encrypt configuration backup files, allowing attackers with knowledge of the key to decrypt sensitive data.
Verdict
Today item, not a backlog item.
An attacker who obtains a FortiOS configuration backup can decrypt it using the hard-coded encryption key, exposing credentials and system secrets. This vulnerability has been exploited in ransomware campaigns.
01
Is it exploitable?
— the evidence, ranked above the scoreExploit available
Public proof-of-concept exploit code is cataloged for this vulnerability.We link the existence of the exploit; we do not host or redistribute payloads.
Reported exploitation
7 independent public reports of in-the-wild exploitation are cataloged.Distinct reporting sources (vendor, incident response, government); open them for the underlying claims.
Exploited in the wild
Listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog (added 2025-06-25), flagged for known ransomware use.
Probability (EPSS)
EPSS 0.05352 — modeled likelihood of exploitation activity.EPSS is a daily-changing model output — open the source for today's value.
Severity / affected
Affected: Fortinet, FortiOS. Confirm exact fixed builds in the vendor advisory.
Weakness (CWE)
Mapped to CWE-798 Hard-coded Credentials — weakness family: Authentication.CWE assignment from the public NVD record; the weakness class drives how the flaw is exploited.
02
Who’s exploiting it?
— attribution turns risk into urgencyAttribution not established
No confirmed (advisory-backed) threat-actor attribution is established for this record. Absence of a named actor is not absence of compromise — see Coverage & confidence.
03
Why it matters
— the attack path, told twice: adversary, then board1
Front door — unauthenticated access narrative 1
Attacker
I obtain a FortiOS configuration backup file through network access or system compromise.
Business
Backup files containing encrypted credentials are accessible to threat actors.
2
Keys to the kingdom — privilege/identity takeover narrative 2
Attacker
I use the publicly known hard-coded key to decrypt the backup file.
Business
Encryption provides no protection against credential exposure.
3
Lateral reach — past segmentation narrative 3
Attacker
I extract administrative credentials, API keys, and other secrets from the decrypted backup.
Business
Attackers gain privileged access to FortiOS devices and downstream systems.
4
Data at risk — exfiltration narrative 4
Attacker
I use these credentials to move laterally through the network or establish persistent access.
Business
Ransomware operators leverage this access to encrypt critical infrastructure.
04
What to do
— defensible action- Remediate per the vendor advisory — confirm the fixed build for your version and verify exposure.1
Say it to the boardA vulnerability with this evidence profile is a defensible budget line, not a backlog ticket — fund the change against the proof above.
05