Berlin, January 16, 2025 – Hackers leaked sensitive credentials for 15K FortiGate devices, risking global VPN networks. Update firmware and secure your systems now.
In a chilling cybersecurity development, over 15,000 FortiGate devices have been compromised, exposing sensitive VPN credentials, configuration files, and firewall rules. The data, leaked by the newly emerged Belsen Group,” has been made freely available on the dark web, putting organizations worldwide at immediate risk.
The leaked 1.6 GB archive contains country-specific folders with device configurations, private keys, and VPN passwords – many of them in plain text. Cybersecurity expert Kevin Beaumont confirmed the credentials align with devices impacted by the 2022 zero-day vulnerability (CVE-2022-40684). He warned:
This data opens a treasure trove for cybercriminals, laying bare critical network defenses.
The Belsen Group’s motives are clear: gain notoriety in the cybercriminal underworld. A forum post by the group boasted:
Our first operation exposes data from 15,000 global targets in government and private sectors.
Disturbingly, this breach stems from unpatched vulnerabilities in devices running outdated FortiOS firmware (7.0.0-7.2.2). Organizations that failed to update are now grappling with the fallout, as these credentials provide a direct gateway for attackers to infiltrate networks.
Andrea Koch, a cybersecurity consultant in Berlin said:
This could disrupt operations and lead to devastating financial and reputational damages.
Fortinet has yet to comment on this new leak. Admins using FortiGate devices are urged to update firmware, change credentials, and review firewall rules immediately.
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