⚠ Reference material — not professional advice. Test in staging, back up first, verify against your specific version. Use your own judgment for your environment.
● Critical · CVSS 9.6 ⚠ ACTIVELY EXPLOITED — CISA KEV

How to Fix CVE-2025-25257: Fortinet FortiWeb SQL Injection

*By Sai Kiran Pandrala*

⚡ At a glance
SeverityCVSS 9.6, Critical
Actively exploited?Yes, listed in CISA KEV
AffectedFortinet FortiWeb, see Fortinet PSIRT advisory for the affected version range
Fixed inSee PSIRT advisory for patched FortiWeb build per train
Type (CWE)CWE-89: SQL Injection (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in an SQL Command)

⚠️ Patch immediately. FortiWeb is a web application firewall, SQL injection on the WAF itself means the attacker can read WAF policy data and any credentials the appliance stores.

What is CVE-2025-25257?

A SQL injection vulnerability in Fortinet FortiWeb's management interface allows an attacker to inject SQL commands via crafted requests. Successful exploitation can leak the management database contents, including admin credentials and policy data.

Am I affected?

You are affected if you run Fortinet FortiWeb at any version below the patched build listed in the Fortinet PSIRT advisory. Check via:


get system status

How to fix CVE-2025-25257

  1. Open the Fortinet PSIRT advisory linked below for the exact patched FortiWeb build.
  2. Download the patched firmware from the Fortinet support portal.
  3. For HA pairs, upgrade secondary, fail over, upgrade primary.
  4. Apply via GUI or CLI per Fortinet's documented procedure. Reboot when prompted.
  5. Verify with get system status.

Upgrade FortiOS / FortiGate to the patched release


# Verify the running build
get system status | grep -i version

# Target FortiOS build is listed in the Fortinet advisory: https://fortiguard.fortinet.com/psirt/FG-IR-25-151
execute restore image tftp <patched-image>.out <tftp-server-ip>

# The firewall reboots automatically. Re-check version after reboot.
get system status | grep -i version

Verify the fix landed


# 1. Confirm the running version matches the fixed-in version from the advisory:
#    https://fortiguard.fortinet.com/psirt/FG-IR-25-151
#    Use the platform-specific version probe above.

# 2. Re-scan with your vulnerability scanner (Nessus, Qualys, Tenable, OpenVAS).
#    The scanner should no longer flag CVE-2025-25257 on the patched target.

# 3. Inspect recent service / kernel logs for crash loops or rollback events.
journalctl -u <service> --since "10 minutes ago"
dmesg --since "10 minutes ago"

If you can't patch immediately

Restrict FortiWeb management interface access to a single administrative subnet via:


# Vendor advisory: https://www.fortiguard.com/psirt
config system interface
    edit <mgmt-interface>
        set allowaccess https ssh
        set trusthost <admin-network>/<mask>
    next
end

How to verify the fix worked

get system status shows the patched build. Run a vulnerability scan against the management interface — CVE-2025-25257 detection should clear.

Frequently asked questions

Is CVE-2025-25257 actively exploited?

Yes. CVE-2025-25257 is on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, so federal civilian agencies are required to patch on the published deadline. Most enterprises treat the same date as the practical floor.

What is the CVSS severity of CVE-2025-25257?

Critical. See the advisory for the full CVSS vector.

Where can I read the official advisory?

See https://www.fortiguard.com/psirt

Does the patch require a reboot?

It depends on the deployment. Service-only updates usually need a service restart; OS-level fixes require a full reboot. Check the vendor release notes for the exact post-upgrade steps.

References

*This guide was assembled from the Fortinet PSIRT advisory, NVD record, and CISA KEV listing on 2026-05-25. Always confirm against Fortinet's advisory before applying changes in production.*

Other vulnerabilities in the same area that are worth patching alongside this one: