Fortinet VPN Zero-Day Exploited in Malware Attacks Remains Unpatched: Report

The recently detailed DeepData malware framework was caught exploiting a zero-day vulnerability in the Fortinet VPN client for Windows to steal credentials, cybersecurity firm Volexity reports.

DeepData is a surveillance framework that relies on multiple plugins to target sensitive information stored in browsers, communication applications, and password managers, and which can record audio using the system’s microphone.

According to BlackBerry, both DeepData and the LightSpy iOS malware have been used by China-lined advanced persistent threat (APT) actor APT41 to spy on journalists, politicians, and political activists in Southeast Asia.

On Friday, Volexity revealed that DeepData was seen targeting Fortinet’s Windows VPN client to extract usernames, passwords, and other information from the process’ memory, by exploiting a zero-day vulnerability.

The bug, reported to Fortinet in July, when it was confirmed to be affecting the latest iteration of Fortinet’s VPN available at the time, does not have a CVE ...