Detect CVE-2026-35616 — Fortinet FortiClient EMS Improper Access Control Exploitation in IBM QRadar
Detects exploitation attempts targeting CVE-2026-35616, an improper access control vulnerability (CWE-284) in Fortinet FortiClient Enterprise Management Server (EMS). This vulnerability is listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, indicating active exploitation in the wild. Attackers may leverage this flaw to bypass access controls on the EMS server, potentially enabling unauthorized configuration changes, endpoint agent manipulation, or lateral movement through managed endpoints.
MITRE ATT&CK
QRadar Detection Query
SELECT
DATEFORMAT(starttime, 'yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss') AS event_time,
sourceip,
destinationip,
destinationport,
username,
qid,
QIDNAME(qid) AS event_name,
logsourcename(logsourceid) AS log_source,
"EventID",
magnitude,
UTF8(payload) AS raw_payload
FROM events
WHERE
LOGSOURCETYPENAME(devicetype) ILIKE '%fortinet%'
AND (
LOWER(UTF8(payload)) ILIKE '%forticlient%' OR
LOWER(UTF8(payload)) ILIKE '%ems%'
)
AND (
LOWER(UTF8(payload)) ILIKE '%access denied%' OR
LOWER(UTF8(payload)) ILIKE '%authorization fail%' OR
LOWER(UTF8(payload)) ILIKE '%improper access%' OR
LOWER(UTF8(payload)) ILIKE '%privilege escalat%' OR
LOWER(UTF8(payload)) ILIKE '%bypass%'
)
AND starttime > NOW() - 7 DAYS
ORDER BY starttime DESC
LIMIT 500QRadar AQL query targeting Fortinet log sources for CVE-2026-35616-related access control failure patterns in FortiClient EMS logs. Returns the 500 most recent matching events with magnitude and payload for analyst review.
Data Sources
Required Tables
False Positives & Tuning
- Automated EMS backup jobs triggering temporary access failures during maintenance windows
- FortiClient version upgrades causing momentary authorisation mismatches
- Network segmentation changes causing legitimate EMS communication to be flagged as denied
- Misconfigured LDAP/AD integration causing authentication failures on the EMS management console
Other platforms for CVE-2026-35616
Testing Methodology
Validate this detection against 4 adversary techniques from Atomic Red Team. Each test below lists the behaviour to exercise and the telemetry you should expect to see. Executable commands and cleanup steps are available with Pro.
- Test 1FortiClient EMS Unauthenticated API Endpoint Probe
Expected signal: Web server access log entries on EMS showing HTTP requests to API paths from an unknown source IP, with response codes logged. Network flow records show connections from test host to EMS port 8013.
- Test 2FortiClient EMS Privilege Escalation via Access Control Bypass (Simulated)
Expected signal: EMS audit log entries recording the low-privilege user's access attempts to admin-tier endpoints. Windows Security Event Log 4648 if token acquisition involved explicit credential use.
- Test 3FortiClient EMS Management Port Reconnaissance from External Network Segment
Expected signal: Network IDS/IPS alerts for port scan activity targeting EMS management ports. Firewall deny logs if EMS ports are restricted. NetFlow records showing probe connections from test segment to EMS IP.
- Test 4FortiClient Agent Mass Policy Modification via Compromised EMS
Expected signal: EMS audit log entry recording policy creation event with the admin token's associated username. API access log entry for POST to /api/v1/policies. Managed endpoint logs showing receipt of new policy push if EMS propagates it.
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