Threat Intelligence: FortiSwitch & SonicWall Flaws Open the Door for Full Takeover - D1 Defend D1 Defend

In cybersecurity, it’s often not the most obvious systems that cause the most damage—it’s the overlooked, often under-patched infrastructure at the edge.

That’s why we’re issuing an urgent warning: new critical vulnerabilities have been discovered in FortiSwitch and SonicWall NetExtender VPN clients, creating an open path for attackers to seize full administrative control of your network infrastructure.

If your business relies on either of these systems, the time to act is right now. Attackers are already scanning the internet for unpatched devices. Delays in remediation could result in catastrophic breaches—especially for companies who provide or manage services for others.

At D1 Defend, we’re helping organizations rapidly assess exposure, patch affected systems, and implement hardened configurations to prevent remote takeovers.

What’s Happening: Critical Vulnerabilities in Fortinet & SonicWall Devices

🔓 FortiSwitch Vulnerability: CVE-2024-48887

This is a remote, unauthenticated exploit with no credentials required.

Attackers can:

• Reset the admin password remotely

• Gain full administrative access to FortiSwitch devices

• Pivot into internal systems using elevated privileges

Impacted Versions: FortiSwitch firmware prior to version 7.2.2

⚠️ SonicWall NetExtender Vulnerabilities (Windows Client)

Three critical flaws identified:

• CVE-2025-23008 – Improper privilege management (CVSS 7.2)

• CVE-2025-23009 – Arbitrary file deletion (CVSS 5.9)

• CVE-2025-23010 – Link-following vulnerability (CVSS 6.5)

These allow attackers to:

• Escalate user privileges to system level

• Delete or tamper with files on the host machine

• Abuse internal symbolic links to redirect or modify file operations

Impacted Versions: SonicWall NetExtender for Windows (both 32-bit and 64-bit) below version 10.3.2

Why These Vulnerabilities Are So Dangerous

These vulnerabilities are dangerous not just because they exist—but because they’re in the infrastructure that connects and secures your environment.

Here’s why they matter:

• VPN clients and switches are often granted high trust within a network

• Remote exploits bypass firewall protections and access systems directly

• Attackers can gain persistence and move laterally once inside

• No authentication required in some cases—making detection difficult

Worse, these vulnerabilities are already being actively exploited, according to multiple threat intelligence reports. If your systems are still unpatched, they may already be scanned or targeted.

What Could Happen If Left Unpatched?

A successful exploit of these flaws could result in:

• Full administrative control of your infrastructure

• Installation of backdoors or ransomware

• Credential theft or certificate compromise

• Compromise of customer-facing or internal applications

• Massive regulatory and financial liability in case of data exposure

For MSPs and SaaS providers, the risk is multiplied—because if your perimeter is compromised, your clients’ data and systems may be next.

What You Should Do Right Now

At D1 Defend, we’ve mobilized our security teams to assist clients in rapidly closing these gaps.

Here’s what we recommend—and how we can help:

🔧 1. Patch Immediately

Apply firmware updates for all affected FortiSwitch and SonicWall systems.

• FortiSwitch: Upgrade to version 7.2.2 or later

• SonicWall NetExtender: Upgrade to version 10.3.2 or later

If you’re unsure whether your environment includes these components, we’ll run a rapid scan and inventory assessment for you.

🛑 2. Restrict Management Interfaces

Limit administrative access to:

• Internal IPs only

• Known, secure remote access platforms (e.g., via secure VPN)

• Geo-fenced IP ranges

We’ll help you configure ACLs (Access Control Lists) and VPN hardening measures to block unwanted access points.

🔁 3. Reset and Reissue Admin Credentials

If there’s any suspicion of compromise:

• Reset all admin credentials for FortiSwitch and SonicWall

• Review and rotate digital certificates used for authentication

• Disable or remove shared/admin accounts no longer in use

🔍 4. Perform a Targeted Security Assessment

We can conduct a targeted audit of your network to:

• Identify exposed Fortinet or SonicWall systems

• Validate patch levels and configurations

• Check for signs of suspicious or malicious activity

• Confirm endpoint integrity across connected devices

🧠 5. Educate Your IT Team

Your engineers and IT personnel should be trained on:

• Proper firewall and switch hardening

• VPN do’s and don’ts (e.g., avoid using split tunneling unless required)

• Best practices for patching and monitoring infrastructure

D1 Defend provides on-demand security briefings and incident simulations to ensure your team is prepared.

👁 6. Implement 24/7 Monitoring and Threat Detection

If you don’t have round-the-clock monitoring of your infrastructure, these types of threats can go unnoticed until it’s too late.

We offer:

• EDR (Endpoint Detection & Response) to detect lateral movement

• SIEM integration to alert on suspicious login attempts or config changes

• Anomaly detection for elevated privilege use.

   

What Sets D1 Defend Apart

We don’t just identify risks—we fix them fast. Our cybersecurity services combine:

• ✔ Real-world threat intelligence

• ✔ Hands-on patching and system hardening

• ✔ Proactive infrastructure protection

• ✔ 24/7 support and response

We’re already helping businesses lock down vulnerabilities like CVE-2024-48887 before attackers can exploit them.

Don’t Let Perimeter Devices Become Your Point of Failure

These vulnerabilities affect foundational technology. If FortiSwitch or SonicWall NetExtender is part of your network, you cannot afford to wait.