NSA documented Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) actors exploiting two VPN vulnerabilities: Fortinet FortiGate CVE-2018-13379 and Pulse Secure Pulse Connect Secure CVE-2019-11510. The named flaws appear in an April 2021 advisory; the available evidence does not establish that either is being exploited now. If you operate one of these products, check its exact version against current vendor security guidance and apply the vendor’s fix or mitigation promptly.
What NSA documented—and when
In an April 15, 2021 summary of a joint advisory, NSA said Russian SVR actors had exploited five publicly known vulnerabilities, including two affecting VPN products: CVE-2018-13379 in Fortinet FortiGate VPN and CVE-2019-11510 in Pulse Secure Pulse Connect Secure VPN. This is evidence of historical exploitation, not proof that the same flaws are under active exploitation today or that every installation of either product is vulnerable.
NSA issued additional Russia-related guidance in 2024, but it should not be conflated with the 2021 VPN cases. Its September 5, 2024 announcement about GRU Unit 29155 recommends prioritizing system updates and known-exploited-vulnerability remediation, network segmentation, and phishing-resistant multifactor authentication (MFA) for externally facing services—particularly VPNs—and accounts that access critical systems. On October 10, 2024, NSA announced updated guidance on Russian SVR activity and rapid patching, but that announcement does not identify the two VPN flaws named in 2021 as the subject of that update. See the September 2024 advisory announcement and October 2024 SVR guidance announcement.
How to check and secure a VPN deployment
- Inventory internet-reachable VPN systems. Record each appliance or software product, its exact version, support status, and whether it is exposed to the internet. Include managed and remote-access deployments, not just equipment your team considers a perimeter gateway.
- Check the vendor advisory for the exact CVE and version. If the deployment is FortiGate or Pulse Connect Secure, compare its product and version with current vendor security guidance for the relevant CVE. Do not infer a fixed version from an article headline or from the CVE name. The appropriate release or mitigation depends on the product and its current vendor guidance.
- Apply the vendor’s fix or mitigation promptly. Follow the vendor’s instructions for the affected product and version. If a system is unsupported or the vendor’s guidance does not cover the installed version, treat that as an unresolved exposure and follow your organization’s security process for containment or replacement.
- Reduce the impact of exposed services. Use network segmentation and phishing-resistant MFA for external access and sensitive accounts, consistent with NSA’s 2024 guidance. These controls complement remediation; they do not make an unpatched vulnerable system safe.
- Investigate signs of earlier compromise. If logs or other evidence suggest unauthorized access, use your incident-response process and the applicable advisory’s indicators and response guidance. Installing a patch fixes a vulnerability; by itself, it does not establish that an earlier intrusion has been removed.
What the available guidance does not establish
The cited NSA announcements do not establish that an attack is underway at your organization, that either 2021 VPN flaw is being exploited currently, or which fixed version applies to a particular deployment. The NSA material surfaced here also does not provide vendor-specific fixed-version details. Verify the product and version directly against current vendor security guidance before choosing a patch or mitigation.
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NSA’s December 2023 announcement about Russian SVR exploitation of JetBrains TeamCity CVE-2023-42793 is a separate product-specific case, with its own patching and mitigation advice; it is not evidence about the status of the VPN vulnerabilities. The TeamCity announcement illustrates why advisories should be matched to the named product and flaw rather than treated as interchangeable.
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