Tuesday, August 11, 2026
LIVEThe Unrelenting Cyber Battle: Hacking Threats and the Imperative of Robust Data Protection///Navigating the Cyber Labyrinth: Bolstering Defenses Against Evolving Hacking Threats///The Dual Front War: Battling Hacking and Bolstering Data Protection in the Digital Age///The Ever-Evolving Cyber Threat Landscape: Navigating Hacking and Fortifying Data Protection///The Unseen Battle: Fortifying Data in an Age of Relentless Hacking///The Unseen War: Hacking's Relentless Advance and the Imperative of Data Protection///The Evolving Threat Landscape: Hacking, Data Protection, and the Imperative for Proactive Security///Navigating the Digital Minefield: Bolstering Data Protection in an Era of Relentless Hacking///The Dual Fronts of Digital Defense: Combating Hacking and Fortifying Data Protection///Hacking's New Frontier: Fortifying Data Protection in the Age of Advanced Cyber Threats///The Dual Front: Navigating Hacking Threats and Fortifying Data Protection in the Digital Age///Navigating the Digital Gauntlet: The Evolving Nexus of Hacking and Data Protection///The Unrelenting Cyber Battle: Hacking Threats and the Imperative of Robust Data Protection///Navigating the Cyber Labyrinth: Bolstering Defenses Against Evolving Hacking Threats///The Dual Front War: Battling Hacking and Bolstering Data Protection in the Digital Age///The Ever-Evolving Cyber Threat Landscape: Navigating Hacking and Fortifying Data Protection///The Unseen Battle: Fortifying Data in an Age of Relentless Hacking///The Unseen War: Hacking's Relentless Advance and the Imperative of Data Protection///The Evolving Threat Landscape: Hacking, Data Protection, and the Imperative for Proactive Security///Navigating the Digital Minefield: Bolstering Data Protection in an Era of Relentless Hacking///The Dual Fronts of Digital Defense: Combating Hacking and Fortifying Data Protection///Hacking's New Frontier: Fortifying Data Protection in the Age of Advanced Cyber Threats///The Dual Front: Navigating Hacking Threats and Fortifying Data Protection in the Digital Age///Navigating the Digital Gauntlet: The Evolving Nexus of Hacking and Data Protection///
Subscribe
Cyber Security
Independent · Digital
Thehackingpost
RSSSubscribe
CybersecurityAI-assisted

Hackers Exploiting Three-Year-Old FortiGate Vulnerability to Bypass 2FA on Firewalls

A vulnerability in Fortinet FortiGate firewalls, identified as CVE-2020-12812, is actively being exploited by cybercriminals. This flaw, initially patched in July 2020, allows attackers to bypass two-factor authentication (2FA) and gain unauthorized…

ZBy Zachary BurnsDec 25, 20252 min read

A vulnerability in Fortinet FortiGate firewalls, identified as CVE-2020-12812, is actively being exploited by cybercriminals. This flaw, initially patched in July 2020, allows attackers to bypass two-factor authentication (2FA) and gain unauthorized access to Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) and administrative consoles.

The Fortinet Product Security Incident Response Team (PSIRT) has reported ongoing attacks exploiting this vulnerability and has advised administrators to audit their configurations immediately.

The issue arises from a case sensitivity mismatch in username handling between FortiGate devices and LDAP directories, such as Active Directory. While FortiGate treats usernames as case-sensitive, most LDAP servers do not. This discrepancy can be exploited if local FortiGate users with 2FA enabled are also members of LDAP groups mapped to authentication policies.

An attack is executed by entering a username with different case variations. For example, if a user "jsmith" is configured with 2FA, attackers might log in using "Jsmith" or "jSmith". This causes FortiGate to rely on secondary authentication policies tied to LDAP groups, allowing access with valid LDAP credentials and bypassing 2FA.

Local FortiGate users with 2FA referencing LDAP. Users in LDAP groups configured on FortiGate and used in firewall policies (e.g., for SSL/IPsec VPN or admin access).

A vulnerability in Fortinet FortiGate firewalls, identified as CVE-2020-12812, is actively being exploited by cybercriminals.
Zachary Burns · Thehackingpost

Successful exploitation can grant attackers VPN access or elevated privileges without requiring 2FA tokens. Fortinet recommends resetting all credentials, including LDAP/AD binding accounts, and analyzing logs for unusual activity, such as failed local matches followed by LDAP successes.

The vulnerability was addressed in FortiOS versions 6.0.10, 6.2.4, and 6.4.1. However, unpatched or misconfigured devices remain vulnerable to attack.

Administrators are advised to take the following actions:

Advertisement

Patch Firmware : Update to FortiOS 6.0.10+, 6.2.4+, or 6.4.1+ to prevent the failover behavior. Disable Case Sensitivity : For unpatched systems, execute set username-case-sensitivity disable (FortiOS 6.0.10–6.0.12) or set username-sensitivity disable (v6.0.13+, v6.2.10+, v6.4.7+, v7.0.1+) to normalize usernames. Trim LDAP Groups : Remove unnecessary secondary groups from policies to ensure mismatched logins fail. Audit Logs : Investigate authentication events for case-variant login attempts.

Fortinet notes that removing LDAP groups eliminates the risk of bypass for local-only users. The persistence of old vulnerabilities highlights the importance of maintaining secure configurations and conducting regular audits.

Based on reporting by Cyber Security News.

AI transparency. This article was produced with the assistance of artificial intelligence and published under human editorial oversight. AI systems can make mistakes. Read how we use AI (EU AI Act, Art. 50).
Related Stories
Cybersecurity

Why Fintech Banking Platforms Are Reducing Operational Costs by 40%

Paige Monroe · Mar 26, 2026
Cybersecurity

Dogecoin Price Prediction: SHIB Burns 172M Tokens as Pepeto Exchange Earns From Every Trade

Eric Wallace · Mar 26, 2026
Cybersecurity

Solana Price Prediction: SOL Holds $86 With Commodity Status as Pepeto Targets Bigger Returns

Zachary Burns · Mar 26, 2026
Cybersecurity

Open Directory Malware Campaign Uses Obfuscated VBS, PNG Loaders and RAT Payloads

Joseph Cain · Mar 26, 2026