Administration Guide

FortiClient 7.4.1
FORTINET DOCUMENT LIBRARY
https://docs.fortinet.com

FORTINET VIDEO LIBRARY

https://video.fortinet.com

FORTINET BLOG
https://blog.fortinet.com

CUSTOMER SERVICE & SUPPORT

https://support.fortinet.com

FORTINET TRAINING & CERTIFICATION PROGRAM

https://www.fortinet.com/training-certification

FORTINET TRAINING INSTITUTE

https://training.fortinet.com

FORTIGUARD LABS
https://www.fortiguard.com

END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT

https://www.fortinet.com/doc/legal/EULA.pdf

FEEDBACK
Email: techdoc@fortinet.com

November 08, 2024

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide
04-741-1019040-20241108
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction 7
FortiClient, FortiClient EMS, and FortiGate 7
Fortinet product support for FortiClient 7
FortiClient EMS 8
FortiManager 8
FortiGate 8
FortiAnalyzer 9
FortiSandbox 9
FortiClient standalone and licensed version feature comparison 9
Endpoint communication security 11
Recommended upgrade path 12
Getting started 17
Getting started with FortiClient 17
EMS and endpoint profiles 18
Telemetry connection options 18
EMS and automatic upgrade of FortiClient 21
Provisioning preparation 22
Installation requirements 22
Licensing 23
Required services and ports 23
Firmware images and tools 27
Microsoft Windows 27
macOS 28
Linux 28
Obtaining FortiClient installation files 29
Provisioning 30
Manually installing FortiClient on computers 30
Microsoft Windows 30
Microsoft Server 31
macOS 31
Linux 34
Installing FortiClient on infected systems 35
Installing FortiClient as part of cloned disk images 36
Installing FortiClient using the CLI 36
Manually installing a FortiClient hotfix 37
Centralized FortiClient deployment 38
FortiClient EMS 38
Deploying FortiClient using Microsoft AD servers 39
Uninstalling FortiClient 40
Upgrading FortiClient 40
Verifying ports and services and connection between EMS and FortiClient 42
Ports and services 42
Connectivity between EMS and FortiClient 42

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 3

Fortinet Inc.
 User details 44
Viewing user details 44
Retrieving user details from cloud applications 45
Adding your phone number and email address manually 46
Specifying the user avatar manually 46
User Profile notification 47
Zero Trust Telemetry 48
FortiClient Telemetry 48
Telemetry data 48
Connecting FortiClient Telemetry after installation 48
Reauthenticating your identity 49
Remembering gateway IP addresses 50
Forgetting a gateway IP address 51
Disconnecting FortiClient Telemetry 51
Compliance with EMS and FortiOS 51
On-/off-fabric status with EMS 51
Logging to FortiAnalyzer 52
Quarantined endpoints 52
Remote Access 54
Configuring VPN connections 54
Configuring an SSL VPN connection 54
Configuring an IPsec VPN connection 55
Connecting VPNs 58
Connecting to SSL or IPsec VPN 58
Free 30-day VPN access 60
Connecting VPN with FortiToken Mobile 61
Save password, auto connect, and always up 62
Access to certificates in Windows Certificates Stores 63
SAML support for SSL VPN 64
Advanced features (Windows) 67
Activating VPN before Windows logon 68
Connecting VPNs before logging on (AD environments) 68
Creating redundant IPsec VPNs 69
Creating priority-based SSL VPN connections 70
Advanced features (macOS) 71
Creating redundant IPsec VPNs 71
Creating priority-based SSL VPN connections 72
VPN tunnel and script 72
Windows 72
macOS 73
Internal resource lookup with IPv6 enabled on NIC interface 74
Standalone VPN client 74
Windows and macOS 74
Linux 76

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 4

Fortinet Inc.
 ZTNA Destination 77
Malware Protection 79
Antivirus 79
Updating the AV database 79
Scanning with AV on-demand 79
Viewing AntiVirus scan results 80
Viewing FortiClient engine and signature versions 82
Cloud Based Malware Protection 83
AntiExploit 83
Viewing detected exploit attempts 84
Evaluating the anti-exploit detection feature 85
Removable media access 85
Antiransomware 85
Quarantined files 86
Viewing quarantined files 86
Submitting quarantined files for scanning 87
Sandbox Detection 88
Scanning with FortiSandbox on-demand 88
Viewing FortiSandbox scan results 89
Using the popup window 89
Web and Video Filter 91
Web browser plugin for HTTPS web filtering 91
Viewing violations 91
Troubleshooting Web Filter 92
Detection & Response 93
Application Firewall 94
Viewing blocked applications 94
Viewing application firewall profiles 94
Vulnerability Scan 95
Scanning on-demand 95
Automatically fixing detected vulnerabilities 96
Reviewing detected vulnerabilities before fixing 97
Manually fixing detected vulnerabilities 98
Viewing details about vulnerabilities 98
Viewing vulnerability scan history 99
Notifications 101
Settings 102
System 102
Logging 102
Sending logs and Windows host events to FortiAnalyzer or FortiManager 102
Exporting the log file 102
VPN options 103
Advanced options 103
FortiPAM agent client executable integrity check 104

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 5

Fortinet Inc.
 FortiTray 109
Diagnostic Tool 110
Forensic analysis 112
Appendix A - API 113
Overview 113
API reference 113
Appendix B - Vulnerability patches 115
Appendix C - Processes 117
FortiClient (Windows) processes 117
FortiClient (macOS) processes 118
Appendix D - CLI commands 120
FortiClient (Windows) CLI commands 120
FortiClient (macOS) CLI commands 120
FortiClient (Linux) CLI commands 122
Appendix E - VPN autoconnect 131
Configuring autoconnect with username and password authentication 131
Configuring autoconnect with certificate authentication 134
Creating certificates in FortiAuthenticator 134
Configuring FortiOS 136
Installing certificates on the client 137
Configuring the VPN tunnel in EMS 138
Connecting to the VPN tunnel in FortiClient 139
Appendix F - SSL VPN prelogon 140
SSL VPN prelogon using AD machine certificate 140
Computer/machine certificate 141
Security group 143
CA certificate 144
FortiGate authentication configuration 146
FortiGate SSL VPN configuration 149
Enabling VPN prelogon in EMS 150
Configuring a firewall policy to allow access to EMS 151
Configuring and applying a Remote Access profile 152
Verifying and troubleshooting 154
Enabling automatic VPN prelogon in EMS 158
Configuring VPN to automatically connect before logon 158
Verifying and troubleshooting 160
Troubleshooting the prelogon SSL VPN connection 162
No connection 163
VPN tunnel prompts for credentials 163
Wrong certificate selected 164
FortiGate does not pick up UPN from certificate 165
LDAP lookup fails to match computer 165
FortiGate cannot match right group 166
Windows started up but tunnel did not come up 167
Change log 168

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 6

Fortinet Inc.
Introduction

FortiClient is an all-in-one comprehensive endpoint security solution that extends the power of Fortinet’s Advanced
Threat Protection to end user devices. As the endpoint is the ultimate destination for malware that seeks credentials,
network access, and sensitive information, ensuring that your endpoint security combines strong prevention with
detection and mitigation is critical.

This document is written for FortiClient (Windows) 7.4.1. FortiClient (macOS) 7.4.1 and
FortiClient (Linux) 7.4.1 do not support all features that this document describes.

FortiClient, FortiClient EMS, and FortiGate

You can use FortiClient with EMS and FortiGate or with EMS only. You apply FortiClient licensing to EMS.
When you connect FortiClient only to EMS, EMS manages FortiClient. However, FortiClient cannot participate in the
Fortinet Security Fabric.
When using FortiClient with EMS and FortiGate, FortiClient integrates with the Security Fabric to provide endpoint
awareness, compliance, and enforcement by sharing endpoint telemetry regardless of device location, such as
corporate headquarters or a café. At its core, FortiClient automates prevention of known and unknown threats through its
built-in host-based security stack and integration with FortiSandbox. FortiClient also provides secure remote access to
corporate assets via VPN with native multifactor authentication coupled with single sign on.
FortiClient works cooperatively with the Security Fabric. FortiClient achieves this by:
l Extending the Security Fabric down to the endpoints to secure them via security profiles
l Sharing endpoint telemetry to increase awareness of where systems, users, and data reside within an organization
l Enabling the implementation of proper segmentation to protect these endpoints
At regular intervals, FortiClient sends Zero Trust telemetry data to EMS. This visibility coupled with built-in controls from
EMS allows the security administrator to construct a policy to deny access to endpoints with known vulnerabilities or to
quarantine compromised endpoints with a single click.
See Getting started with FortiClient on page 17.

Fortinet product support for FortiClient

The following Fortinet products work together to support FortiClient:

l FortiClient EMS
l FortiManager
l FortiGate

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 7

Fortinet Inc.
 Introduction

l FortiAnalyzer
l FortiSandbox

FortiClient EMS

FortiClient EMS manages FortiClient endpoints by deploying FortiClient (Windows) and endpoint policies to endpoints,
and the endpoints can connect FortiClient Telemetry to EMS. FortiClient endpoints can connect to EMS to participate in
the Fortinet Security Fabric. FortiClient endpoints connect to EMS for real-time management.
EMS 7.4 runs on a Linux server. Earlier EMS versions run on Windows Server.
For information on EMS, see the FortiClient EMS Administration Guide.

FortiManager

FortiManager provides central FortiClient management for FortiGates that FortiManager manages. When endpoints are
connected to managed FortiGates, you can use FortiManager to monitor endpoints from multiple FortiGates.
For information on FortiManager, see the FortiManager Administration Guide.

FortiGate

FortiGate provides network security. EMS defines compliance verification rules for connected endpoints and
communicates the rules to endpoints and the FortiGate. The FortiGate uses the rules and endpoint information from
EMS to dynamically adjust security policies. When using FortiManager, FortiGates communicate between EMS and
FortiManager.
For information on FortiGate, see the FortiOS documentation.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 8

Fortinet Inc.
 Introduction

FortiAnalyzer

FortiAnalyzer can receive logs and Windows host events directly from endpoints connected to EMS, and you can use
FortiAnalyzer to analyze the logs and run reports. FortiAnalyzer receives other FortiClient data from EMS.
For information on FortiAnalyzer, see the FortiAnalyzer Administration Guide.

FortiSandbox

FortiSandbox offers capabilities to analyze new, previously unknown, and undetected virus samples in real time. Files
sent to it are scanned first, using similar antivirus (AV) engine and signatures as are available on FortiOS and FortiClient.
If the file is not detected but is an executable file, it is run in a Microsoft Windows virtual machine (VM) and monitored.
The file is given a rating or score based on its activities and behavior in the VM.
As FortiSandbox receives files for scanning from various sources, it collects and generates AV signatures for such
samples. FortiClient periodically downloads the latest AV signatures from FortiSandbox, and applies them locally to all
realtime and on-demand AV scanning.
FortiClient supports connection to an on-premise FortiSandbox appliance or FortiClient Cloud Sandbox (PaaS). For
more information, see the FortiSandbox Administration Guide.

FortiClient standalone and licensed version feature comparison

When not connected to EMS, FortiClient offers a limited feature set. The following chart shows the modules available for
FortiClient for different OSes:

Free VPN-only standalone

Licensed FortiClient
FortiClient
Module
Windows, Windows Server, Windows Windows macOS Linux
macOS, and Linux Server

Zero Trust No Yes Yes Yes Yes

Telemetry

Compliance No Yes Yes Yes Yes

Sandbox No Yes No Yes Yes

Detection
(including
connection to
FortiClient
Cloud Sandbox
(PaaS))

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 9

Fortinet Inc.
Introduction

Free VPN-only standalone

Licensed FortiClient
FortiClient
Module
Windows, Windows Server, Windows Windows macOS Linux
macOS, and Linux Server

FortiClient
(Linux) cannot
connect to
FortiClient
Cloud Sandbox
(PaaS) or query
or submit
samples to
FortiSandbox. It
can only
download and
use the
FortiSandbox
signature file.

AntiVirus No Yes Yes Yes Yes

Web Filter No Yes Yes Yes Yes

Application No Yes No Yes No

Firewall

Remote Access Only supports a limited version of Yes Yes Yes Yes. For IPsec
the Remote Access feature. The VPN, FortiClient
following is supported: (Linux) only
l IPsec and SSL VPN with user supports IKEv2.
authentication
l Certificate authentication

l Multifactor authentication

using FortiToken
You can only download the free
VPN client from FNDN or
FortiClient.com.
For details, see Standalone VPN
client on page 74.

Vulnerability No Yes Yes Yes Yes

Scan

Central No Yes Yes Yes Yes

management

24x7 support No Yes Yes Yes Yes

In 7.4.1, you apply FortiClient licensing to EMS. EMS supports free and paid licensing models. See FortiClient EMS.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 10

Fortinet Inc.
Introduction

Endpoint communication security

FortiClient connects to EMS using Telemetry to:

l Obtain license information
l Send endpoint and management information to EMS
l Receive endpoint configuration
l Receive endpoint commands, the results of which it can send to EMS
l Other similar tasks
The connection from FortiClient to EMS uses TCP and TLS 1.3. During the SSL connection setup, EMS sends a server
certificate to FortiClient. The certificate that EMS sends to FortiClient is the one configured in EMS Settings > Shared
Settings > Endpoint Control certificate. See Adding an SSL certificate to FortiClient EMS.
In 7.0.1 and earlier versions, FortiClient checks the certificate subject name received from EMS to confirm its validity. In
7.0.2, the certificate validation follows industry standards:
l Domain or fully qualified domain name (FQDN) that FortiClient is connecting to matches the domain to which the
certificate is issued.
l Validation process correctly handles wildcards in the domain name in the certificate.

l Validation process considers both the common name (CN) in the subject or subject alternative name (SAN).

l The certificate expiry date is in the future. The certificate has not expired.
l The certificate issuer or the root certificate in the certificate chain is from a publicly trusted certificate authority (CA).
Trusted CAs are read from the operating system.
The new endpoint communication security feature allows the EMS administrator to configure endpoint profiles to take
different actions based on the validity of the certificate that FortiClient receives from EMS. The EMS administrator
configures this feature by enabling Use SSL certificate for Endpoint Control in EMS and configuring the desired Invalid
Certificate Action for each endpoint profile.

When Use SSL certificate for Endpoint Control is enabled, FortiClient 7.0.1 and earlier
versions cannot connect to EMS. Following the recommended upgrade path as detailed in the
following procedure is recommended to ensure that endpoints can connect to EMS. See
Recommended upgrade path on page 12.

The following describes the behavior when Use SSL certificate for Endpoint Control is enabled:
l If the EMS server certificate is valid, FortiClient silently connects without displaying a message. This is the same
connection behavior from 7.0.1 and earlier versions.
l If the EMS server certificate is invalid:
l If the Invalid Certificate Action is configured as Warn, FortiClient displays a warning message to the end user.
The message warns the user that the EMS to which FortiClient is attempting to connect to has provided an
invalid server certificate. The message offers options to allow or deny the connection:
l If the user allows the connection, FortiClient connects to EMS and remembers the certificate for this EMS.

FortiClient no longer prompts the user each time that it connects to this EMS.
l If the user denies the connection, FortiClient does not connect to EMS by canceling the connection. The

next time that the user tries to connect to the same EMS and the server certificate is still invalid, FortiClient

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 11

Fortinet Inc.
 Introduction

displays the same message again.

l If the Invalid Certificate Action is configured as Allow, FortiClient connects to EMS.

l If the Invalid Certificate Action is configured as Deny, FortiClient does not connect to EMS.
When Use SSL certificate for Endpoint Control is disabled, EMS sends the FortiCare certificate for endpoint control
connections to FortiClient. FortiClient considers this certificate invalid and follows the configured Invalid Certificate
Action.

Recommended upgrade path

Existing FortiClient and EMS users may have a mixture of 7.2.0 and older versions in production. The endpoint security
improvement feature is available for EMS 7.2.0 and later versions. The EMS administrator configures this feature by
enabling Use SSL certificate for Endpoint Control in EMS and configuring the desired Invalid Certificate Action for each
endpoint profile. When the endpoint security improvement feature is enabled in EMS, only FortiClient 7.2.0 and later
versions can connect. Therefore, upgrading all FortiClient endpoints to 7.2.0 is recommended.

When Use SSL certificate for Endpoint Control is enabled on EMS, FortiClient 7.0.1 and earlier
versions cannot connect to EMS. Following the recommended upgrade path as detailed in the
following procedure is recommended to ensure that endpoints can connect to EMS.

Following is the recommended upgrade path for when FortiClient and/or EMS older than 7.2.0 exists in production. You
must complete the following steps:
1. Upgrade EMS to 7.2.0.
2. Upgrade FortiClient to 7.2.0.
3. Apply a valid certificate to EMS.
4. Configure the invalid certificate action as warn.

To upgrade EMS to 7.2.0:

1. Upgrade EMS to 7.4.1 as the Upgrade Path describes.

2. Go to System Settings > EMS Settings.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 12

Fortinet Inc.
Introduction

3. Disable Use SSL certificate for Endpoint Control.

4. Go to Endpoint Profiles > Manage Profiles.

5. Select a System Settings profile.
6. Configure Invalid Certificate Action as Allow.
7. Save the configuration.
8. Repeat steps 4-7 for all profiles.

To upgrade FortiClient to 7.2.0:

1. Create an installer:
a. In EMS, go to Deployment & Installers > FortiClient Installer.
b. Click Add.
c. On the Version tab, you can choose to create a deployment package that uses an official installer or custom
installer. Do one of the following:
i. If you want to use an official installer, do the following:
i. Select Choose an official release.
ii. From the Release dropdown list, select 7.2.
iii. From the Patch dropdown list, select 7.2.0.
ii. If you want to use a custom installer, do the following:
i. Select Choose a custom installer.
ii. Select an existing FortiClient 7.2.0 custom installer from the Custom Installer dropdown list, or use the
Add Installer option to add a new 7.2.0 installer.
d. Click Next.
e. In the Name and Notes fields, enter the desired values. Click Next.
f. On the Features tab, enable all desired features. Click Next.
g. On the Advanced tab, from the Invalid Certificate Action dropdown list, select Allow. Configure other fields as
desired, then click Next.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 13

Fortinet Inc.
Introduction

h. Click Finish.
2. Create a deployment configuration:
a. Go to Deployment & Installers > Manage Deployment.
b. Click Add.
c. In the Endpoint Groups field, click Edit. In the Add Endpoint Groups dialog, select all groups that contain
endpoints to upgrade to 7.2.0.
d. For Action, select Install.
e. From the Deployment Package dropdown list, select the package that you created earlier.
f. Enable Start at a Scheduled Time and configure the desired time.
g. Ensure that Enable the Deployment is enabled.
h. Configure other fields as desired, then save the deployment configuration.
At the scheduled time, EMS deploys the FortiClient 7.2.0 upgrade to all endpoints groups that you configured
for the deployment. FortiClient upgrades to 7.2.0 on the endpoints. After upgrade, FortiClient reconnects to
EMS. FortiClient does not display an error or warning as it reconnects to EMS.

To apply a valid certificate to EMS:

1. In EMS, go to System Settings > EMS Settings.

2. You can add an SSL certificate to EMS in one of the following ways:

Method Description

Automated The Automated Certificate Management Environment (ACME), as defined in

RFC 8555, is used by the public Let's Encrypt certificate authority to provide
free SSL server certificates. You can configure EMS to use certificates that are
managed by Let's Encrypt.

Upload Manually upload an SSL certificate.

For either method, you must ensure that the certificate satisfies the criteria in Endpoint communication security on
page 11 to ensure that communication between FortiClient and EMS is secure.
Do one of the following:
a. Configure an automated SSL certificate:
i. Go to System Settings > EMS Settings.
ii. Ensure that Remote HTTPS access and Redirect HTTP request to HTTPS are enabled.
iii. Ensure that ports 80 and 443 are accessible from the Internet by going to https://<EMS FQDN> in a
browser. If the ports are accessible, the browser displays the EMS login page.
iv. In the SSL certificate field, click the Import SSL certificate button.
v. Select Automated.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 14

Fortinet Inc.
Introduction

vi. In the Domain field, enter the EMS FQDN. For the Let's Encrypt server to issue the certificate, the public
DNS server must resolve the EMS FQDN to the EMS public IP address.
vii. In the Email field, enter a valid email address.
viii. If desired, enable Auto Renew. When Auto Renew is enabled, EMS automatically renews the certificate
before expiry.
ix. Select the checkbox to agree to Let's Encrypt's terms of service. Click Import.

b. Manually upload an SSL certificate:

i. Go to System Settings > EMS Settings.
ii. In the SSL certificate field, click the Import SSL certificate button.
iii. Select Upload.
iv. In the Certificate field, browse to and select the desired certificate.
v. In the Certificate Password field, configure the desired password for the certificate.
vi. Click Upload.
3. After all endpoints have upgraded to FortiClient 7.2.0 and EMS is using a valid certificate, go to System Settings >
EMS Settings and enable Use SSL certificate for Endpoint Control. When you enable this option, endpoints still
running FortiClient 7.0.1 and older versions can no longer connect to this EMS. If they were previously connected,
they now show as offline.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 15

Fortinet Inc.
Introduction

To configure the invalid certificate action as warn:

1. In EMS, go to Endpoint Profiles > Manage Profiles.

2. Select a profile.
3. On the System Settings tab, configure Invalid Certificate Action as Warn.
4. Save the profile.
5. After FortiClient receives the configuration change, observe if FortiClient displays a warning about the certificate
being invalid. If you do not observe connection issues when Invalid Certificate Action is set to Warn, you can
optionally change the setting to Deny.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 16

Fortinet Inc.
Getting started

This section describes how to get started with FortiClient. It also includes key concepts that administrators and endpoint
users should be aware of when using FortiClient.

Getting started with FortiClient

In 7.4.1, you must use FortiClient with EMS. FortiClient must connect to EMS to activate its license and become
provisioned by the endpoint profile that the administrator configured in EMS. You cannot use any FortiClient features
(except for VPN, as Free 30-day VPN access on page 60 describes) until FortiClient is connected to EMS and licensed.
The setup process is as follows. The EMS administrator completes some actions, and the endpoint user completes
others.
1. The administrator configures a FortiClient deployment package in EMS. The administrator specifies which modules
to install in the deployment package.
2. The administrator prepares to deploy FortiClient from EMS. See Provisioning preparation on page 22.
3. The administrator deploys FortiClient on the endpoint from EMS. See Provisioning on page 30. FortiClient installs
on the endpoint. For installation to be successful, the endpoint must be a computer or device on your network that
has Internet access and is running a supported operating system.
After FortiClient installs on the endpoint, it immediately connects to EMS to activate its license. The endpoint user
may need to confirm the connection request to complete the Telemetry connection to EMS.
If the Use SSL certificate for Endpoint Control option is disabled in EMS, EMS sends a built-in EMS certificate or
FortiCare SSL certificate to FortiClient. If the Use SSL certificate for Endpoint Control option is enabled in EMS,
EMS sends an SSL certificate to FortiClient so that FortiClient can use the certificate to verify the connection.
FortiClient may allow or block the connection based on the configured Action for EMS invalid certificates. See
Advanced options on page 103.
FortiClient is now a managed endpoint. Once licensed, FortiClient becomes provisioned by the endpoint profile
configured in EMS. The modules that the administrator included in the deployment package in step 1 become
available for use.
After the endpoint profile provisions , it connects to the FortiGuard server to check for updates for the configured
features.
4. The administrator manages the endpoint using EMS.FortiClient
5. If desired, the endpoint user can add a personal VPN configuration. See Configuring VPN connections on page 54.
6. The endpoint user can use the installed modules in FortiClient. Depending on what modules were installed, one,
more, or all of the following tabs are available:
l Zero Trust Telemetry

l Malware Protection

l Sandbox Detection

l Web Filter

l Application Firewall

l Vulnerability Scan

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 17

Fortinet Inc.
Getting started

l Remote Access
l ZTNA Connection Rules

FortiClient receives its license expiry information from EMS during initial provisioning. When
FortiClient cannot reach EMS, it refers to the previously received expiry information to confirm
that its license is still active. FortiClient does not need to maintain a connection to EMS to
maintain its licensed status.

EMS and endpoint profiles

In EMS, administrators can configure an endpoint profile. Administrators then include the profile in an endpoint policy,
which they apply to groups of endpoints. Profiles defines the configuration for FortiClient software on endpoints. The
profile consists of the following sections:
l Remote Access
l ZTNA Connection Rules
l Web Filter
l Vulnerability Scan
l Malware Protection
l Sandbox
l Firewall
l System Settings
l XML Configuration
When the endpoint receives the configuration information in the endpoint profile as part of an endpoint policy, it
automatically updates FortiClient settings. FortiClient settings are locked and read-only when EMS provides the
configuration in a profile.
For information on configuring endpoint profiles using EMS, see the FortiClient EMS Administration Guide.

Telemetry connection options

In this scenario, FortiClient Zero Trust Telemetry connects to EMS to receive a profile of configuration information as part
of an endpoint policy. EMS is connected to the FortiGate to participate in the Security Fabric. EMS sends FortiClient
endpoint information to the FortiGate.
The FortiGate can also receive dynamic endpoint group lists from EMS and use them to build dynamic firewall policies.
EMS sends group updates to FortiOS, and FortiOS uses the updates to adjust the policies based on those groups. This
feature requires FortiOS 6.2.0 or a later version.
FortiClient can also receive a device certificate from EMS that it can use to securely encrypt and tunnel TCP and HTTPS
traffic through HTTPS to the FortiGate. This feature requires FortiClient 7.0.0 or a later version and FortiOS 7.0.0 or
later.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 18

Fortinet Inc.
Getting started

FortiGate does not provide configuration information for FortiClient and the endpoint. An
administrator must configure FortiClient using an EMS endpoint policy.

Following is a summary of how the Zero Trust Telemetry connection works in this scenario. The following assumes that
EMS is already connected to the FortiGate as a participant in the Security Fabric, and that FortiClient and FortiOS are
also 7.0.0 or a later version:
1. EMS sends its CA certificate to the FortiGate.
2. FortiClient Telemetry attempts connection to EMS. Based on the EMS configuration, FortiClient may receive an
SSL certificate from EMS to verify the connection. If the certificate is valid, FortiClient Telemetry connects to EMS. If
the certificate is invalid, FortiClient may allow or deny connection to the EMS based on configured invalid certificate
action.
3. FortiClient receives the following from EMS:
l Licensing.

l Profile of configuration information as part of an endpoint policy.

l Device certificate that includes the FortiClient UID. FortiClient installs the received certificate to the current user

certificate store for Chrome and Edge browser, and installs it to the browser certificate store for Firefox. This
feature may not be available for Firefox.
4. FortiClient sends security posture information to EMS, including third-party software information, running
processes, network information, and so on.
5. EMS dynamically groups the endpoint based on the information it received, using the configured security posture
tagging rules.
6. FortiOS pulls the dynamic endpoint group information from EMS. The FortiOS administrator can use this data to
build dynamic firewall policies.
7. When the endpoint initiates TCP or HTTPS traffic, FortiClient works as a local proxy gateway to securely encrypt
and tunnel the traffic through HTTPS to the FortiGate, using the certificate received from EMS.
8. The FortiGate retrieves the UID to identify the device and check other information using the endpoint information
that EMS provided to the FortiGate. The FortiGate allows or denies the access as applicable.
9. EMS sends dynamic endpoint group updates to FortiOS. FortiOS uses the updates to adjust the policies based on
those groups.
FortiClient follows the endpoint profile configuration that it receives from EMS. EMS locks FortiClient settings so that the
endpoint user cannot manually change FortiClient configuration.
Only EMS can control the connection between FortiClient and EMS. You can only disconnect FortiClient when you are
logged into EMS.
The EMS server's IP addresses are embedded in FortiClient deployment packages created in EMS. This allows the
endpoint to connect FortiClient Telemetry to the specified EMS server.
EMS sends the following endpoint information to FortiOS:
l User profile:
l Logged-in username

l Full name

l Email address

l Phone number

l User avatar
l Social network account IDs
l MAC address

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 19

Fortinet Inc.
Getting started

l OS type
l OS version
l FortiClient version
l FortiClient UUID
FortiGate also opens a websocket with EMS. EMS adds a new FcmNotify daemon to handle the websocket connection.
EMS notifies the FortiGate if any of the following device information has changed. FortiOS loads the updated
information:
l System information
l User avatar
l Vulnerabilities
l Security posture tags
EMS also sends the following endpoint information to FortiAnalyzer:
l Telemetry/system information
l User avatar
l Software inventory
l Processes
l Network statistics
l Classification tags
FortiClient directly sends the following information to FortiAnalyzer:
l Logs
l Windows host events
See the FortiAnalyzer Administration Guide for details.

For details on configuring FortiOS to pull endpoint tags and their corresponding endpoint lists
from EMS, see the FortiClient EMS Administration Guide.

EMS

In this scenario, EMS provides FortiClient endpoint provisioning. FortiClient connects Telemetry to EMS to receive
configuration information in an endpoint profile as part of an endpoint policy from EMS. EMS also sends security posture
tagging rules to FortiClient, and use the results from FortiClient to dynamically group endpoints in EMS. Only EMS can
control the connection between FortiClient and EMS. You must make any changes to the connection from EMS, not
FortiClient. When FortiClient is connected to EMS, EMS locks FortiClient settings so that the endpoint user cannot
change any configuration. To disconnect FortiClient from EMS, the EMS administrator must deregister the endpoint in
EMS.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 20

Fortinet Inc.
Getting started

EMS and automatic upgrade of FortiClient

You can use EMS to create a FortiClient installer configured to automatically upgrade FortiClient on endpoints to the
latest version.
After the FortiClient installer with automatic upgrade enabled is deployed to endpoints, FortiClient is automatically
upgraded to the latest version when a new version of FortiClient is available via EMS. See the FortiClient EMS
Administration Guide.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 21

Fortinet Inc.
Provisioning preparation

Before provisioning FortiClient, administrators and endpoint users should understand the installation requirements and
FortiClient setup types available for installation. Administrators should also be aware of the licensing requirements.

Installation requirements

The following table lists operating system (OS) support and the minimum system requirements:

OS support Minimum system requirements

l Microsoft Windows 11 (64-bit) l Microsoft Windows-compatible computer with Intel
l Microsoft Windows 10 (64-bit) processor or equivalent. FortiClient does not support
ARM-based processors.
l Compatible operating system and minimum 2 GB
RAM
l 1 GB free hard disk space
l Native Microsoft TCP/IP communication protocol
l Native Microsoft PPP dialer for dialup connections
l Ethernet NIC for network connections
l Wireless adapter for wireless network connections
l Adobe Acrobat Reader for viewing documentation
l MSI installer 3.0 or later

Microsoft Windows Server 2019 or newer l Microsoft Windows-compatible computer with Intel
processor or equivalent. FortiClient does not support
ARM-based processors.
l Compatible operating system and minimum 512 MB
RAM
l 1 GB free hard disk space
l Native Microsoft TCP/IP communication protocol
l Native Microsoft PPP dialer for dialup connections
l Ethernet NIC for network connections
l Wireless adapter for wireless network connections
l Adobe Acrobat Reader for viewing documentation
l MSI installer 3.0 or later

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 22

Fortinet Inc.
Provisioning preparation

OS support Minimum system requirements

l macOS Sonoma (version 14) l Apple Mac computer with Intel processor or M1 or
l macOS Ventura (version 13) M2 chip
l 1 GB of RAM
l 1 GB of free hard disk drive (HDD) space
l TCP/IP communication protocol
l Ethernet NIC for network connections
l Wireless adapter for wireless network connections

Linux distributions: l Linux-compatible computer with Intel processor or

l Ubuntu 22.04 and 24.04. equivalent
l Red Hat 9 or newer l Compatible operating system and minimum 512 MB
l CentOS Stream 9 RAM
l Fedora 36 and later l 600 MB free hard disk space
with KDE or GNOME l TCP/IP communication protocol
l Ethernet NIC for network connections
l Wireless adapter for wireless network connections

Chromebook There is no hardware requirement for installing the

FortiClient Web Filter extension on Chromebooks. The
following are recommended hardware settings:
l Intel Core m3-8100Y (4 threads, 2.40GHz) CPU

l 8 GB memory
l 64 GB disk drive

For Microsoft Windows Server, FortiClient supports the Vulnerability Scan, SSL VPN, Web
Filter, and antivirus (AV) features, including obtaining a Sandbox signature package for
AV scanning. To use SSL VPN on a Windows Server, enable your browser to accept cookies.
Otherwise, tunnel connection fails.

Licensing

FortiClient requires a license. You apply FortiClient licensing to EMS. See Windows, macOS, and Linux licenses for
details.
Contact your Fortinet sales representative for information about FortiClient licenses.

Required services and ports

You must enable required ports and services for use by FortiClient and its associated applications on your server. The
required ports and services enable FortiClient to communicate with servers running associated applications.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 23

Fortinet Inc.
Provisioning preparation

Communication Usage Protocol Port Incoming/outgoing How to

customize

FortiClient Telemetry Endpoint TCP 8013 Outgoing GUI

management
(on-premise
EMS),
participation in
the Fortinet
Security Fabric

SYSLOG Upload logs to UDP 514 Outgoing N/A

syslog server

FortiSandbox Send files to TCP 514 Outgoing N/A

FortiSandbox
for analysis

Remote access - SSL VPN Establish VPN TCP 443 Outgoing GUI
connection to (default)
the FortiGate

FortiAnalyzer/FortiManager Upload logs TCP 514 Outgoing N/A

and Windows
host events to
FortiAnalyzer
or
FortiManager

Remote access - IPsec VPN Establish VPN UDP IKE 500 Outgoing N/A
connection to ESP (IP
the FortiGate 50) NAT-T
4500

FortiAuthenticator/FortiGate Single sign on TCP 8001 Outgoing GUI

(SSO) mobility (default)
agent,
FortiClient
SSO

FortiManager Use TCP 80 Outgoing GUI

FortiManager (default)
for FortiClient
software and
signature
updates

SMTP/FortiGuard Virus TCP 25 Outgoing N/A

submission

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 24

Fortinet Inc.
Provisioning preparation

Communication Usage Protocol Port Incoming/outgoing How to

customize

FortiPAM Use FortiPAM TCP 9191 Outgoing N/A

for privilege
access
management

FortiGuard Cloud-based TCP 8888 Outgoing N/A

malware
detection

FortiClient can also connect to FortiClient Cloud instead of on-premise EMS for endpoint management. The following
table summarizes required services for FortiClient to communicate with FortiClient Cloud:

Usage Server URL Protocol Port Incoming/Outgoing How to

customize

FortiClient forticlient- TCP 443 (default) Outgoing

Cloud emsproxy.forticloud.com
connection forticlient.forticloud.com

FortiClient connects to FortiGuard to query for URL ratings for Web Filter and to download AV and vulnerability scan
engine and signature updates. FortiClient can connect to legacy FortiGuard or FortiGuard Anycast. The
EMS administrator configures FortiGuard server options. See Web Filter and System Settings. The following table
summarizes required services for FortiClient to communicate with FortiGuard:

Usage Server URL Proto Port Incoming/Out How to

col going customi
Global U.S. Europe ze

URL rating fctguard.fortinet fctusguard.forti fcteuguard.forti TCP 443 Outgoing N/A

with .net net.net net.net The EMS
FortiGuard administr
Anycast ator can
configure
Web
Filter to
use
Anycast
or legacy
FortiGua
rd
servers.
See Web
Filter.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 25

Fortinet Inc.
Provisioning preparation

Usage Server URL Proto Port Incoming/Out How to

col going customi
Global U.S. Europe ze

URL rating fgd1.fortigate.co usfgd1.fortigate N/A UDP 8888 Outgoing N/A

with m .com (defa The EMS
FortiGuard ult) administr
(legacy) ator can
configure
Web
Filter to
use
Anycast
or legacy
FortiGua
rd
servers.
See Web
Filter.

AV/vulnera forticlient.fortine usforticlient.forti N/A TCP 80 Outgoing N/A

bility t.net net.net
signature myforticlient.fort
update inet.net

AV/vulnera fctupdate.fortine fctusupdate.fort fcteuupdate.fort TCP 443 Outgoing N/A

bility t.net inet.net inet.net
signature
updates
with
FortiGuard
Anycast

AV/vulnera forticlient.fortine usforticlient.forti N/A TCP 80 Outgoing N/A

bility t.net net.net
signature myforticlient.fort
update inet.net

FortiClient can also connect to FortiClient Cloud Sandbox (SaaS) for integration with FortiSandbox. The following table
summarizes required services for FortiClient to communicate with FortiClient Cloud Sandbox (SaaS):

Usage Server URL Protocol Port Incoming/Outgoing How to

customize

FortiClient aptctrl1.fortinet.com TCP 443 (default) Outgoing N/A

Cloud
Sandbox
(SaaS)
connection

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 26

Fortinet Inc.
 Provisioning preparation

Usage Server URL Protocol Port Incoming/Outgoing How to

customize

aptctrl1.fortinet.com
sends a list of
Sandbox server
addresses to
FortiClient. There are
no fixed IP addresses,
FQDNs, or ports for
these servers.
However, the returned
port is usually 514.

For the list of required services and ports for EMS, see the FortiClient EMS Administration
Guide.

Firmware images and tools

Firmware images and tools are available for Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Microsoft Windows

The following files are available in the firmware image file folder:

File Description

FortiClientTools_7.4.1.xxxx.zip Zip package containing miscellaneous tools, including VPN automation files.

FortiClientSSOSetup_ Fortinet single sign on (FSSO)-only installer (32-bit).

7.4.1.xxxx.zip

FortiClientSSOSetup_ FSSO-only installer (64-bit).

7.4.1.xxxx_x64.zip

FortiClientVPNSetup_ Free VPN-only installer (32-bit).

7.4.1.xxxx.exe

FortiClientVPNSetup_ Free VPN-only installer (64-bit).

7.4.1.xxxx_x64.exe

EMS 7.4.1 includes the FortiClient 7.4.1 standard installer and zip package containing FortiClient.msi and language
transforms.
The following tools and files are available in the FortiClientTools_7.4.xx.xxxx.zip file:

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 27

Fortinet Inc.
 Provisioning preparation

File Description

FortiClientVirusCleaner Virus cleaner.

OnlineInstaller Installer files that install the latest FortiClient version available.

SSLVPNcmdline Command line SSL VPN client.

SupportUtils Includes diagnostic, uninstallation, and reinstallation tools.

VPNAutomation VPN automation tool.

VC_redist.x64.exe Microsoft Visual C++ 2015 Redistributable Update (64-bit).

vc_redist.x86.exe Microsoft Visual C++ 2015 Redistributable Update (86-bit).

The following files are available on FortiClient.com:

File Description

FortiClientSetup_7.4.1.xxxx.zip Standard installer package for Windows (32-bit).

FortiClientSetup_7.4.1.xxxx_ Standard installer package for Windows (64-bit).

x64.zip

FortiClientVPNSetup_ Free VPN-only installer (32-bit).

7.4.1.xxxx.exe

FortiClientVPNSetup_ Free VPN-only installer (64-bit).

7.4.1.xxxx_x64.exe

macOS

The following files are available in the firmware image file folder:

File Description

FortiClientTools_7.4.1.xxxx_macosx.tar.gz Includes utility tools and files to help with installation.

FortiClientVPNSetup_7.4.1.xxx_macosx.dmg Free VPN-only installer.

The following file is available on FortiClient.com:

File Description

FortiClient_7.4.1.xxxx_macosx.dmg Standard installer for macOS.

FortiClientVPNSetup_7.4.1.xxx_macosx.dmg Free VPN-only installer.

EMS 7.4.1 includes the FortiClient 7.4.1 standard installer.

Linux

The following files are available in the firmware image file folder:

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 28

Fortinet Inc.
 Provisioning preparation

File Description

forticlient_7.4.1.xxxx_amd64.deb Standard installer package for Ubuntu.

forticlient_7.4.1.xxxx_x86_64.rpm Standard installer package for Red Hat and CentOS.

forticlient_server_7.4.1.xxxx_amd64.deb Headless (no GUI, CLI-only) installer for Ubuntu.

forticlient_server_7.4.1.xxxx_x86_64.rpm Headless (no GUI, CLI-only) installer for Red Hat and
CentOS.

forticlient_vpn_7.4.1.xxxx_amd64.deb Free VPN-only installer for Ubuntu.

forticlient_vpn_7.4.1.xxxx_64.rpm Free VPN-only installer Red Hat and CentOS.

forticlient_vpn_server_7.4.1.xxxx_amd64.deb Headless (no GUI, CLI-only) free VPN-only installer for

Ubuntu.

forticlient_vpn_server_7.4.1.xxxx_x86_64.rpms Headless (no GUI, CLI-only) VPN-only installer for Red

Hat and CentOS.

FortiClient.com also includes instructions for installing FortiClient (Linux).

Obtaining FortiClient installation files

The EMS administrator will provide a download link to the FortiClient installation files. Download the installation file for
your OS from the provided link.
You can also obtain the FortiClient installation files from FortiClient.com.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 29

Fortinet Inc.
Provisioning

You can install FortiClient on a single computer using the installation wizard or deploy it to multiple Microsoft Windows
systems using Microsoft Active Directory (AD).

FortiClient prevents uninstallation only for non-administrator users.

Manually installing FortiClient on computers

The following section describes how to install FortiClient on a computer running a Microsoft Windows, macOS, or Linux
operating system.

Microsoft Windows

The following instructions guide you though the installation of FortiClient on a Microsoft Windows computer. For more
information, see the FortiClient (Windows) Release Notes.
To check FortiClient's digital signature, right-click the installation file and select Properties. In this menu you can set file
attributes, run the compatibility troubleshooter, view the digital signature and certificate, install the certificate, set file
permissions, and view file details.
Installing FortiClient requires being logged in to the device as a user that belongs to the Administrators user group.
During initial installation, FortiClient is restricted to Program Files and you cannot change the install path.
Once installed, FortiClient has system privileges. FortiClient performs upgrades that EMS triggers using the system
account and no other user permissions are required.

To install FortiClient on Windows:

1. Double-click the FortiClient executable file. The Setup Wizard launches.

2. In the Welcome to the FortiClient Setup Wizard screen, perform the following actions:
a. Click the License Agreement button, and read the license agreement. You have the option to print the EULA in
this License Agreement screen. Click Close to return to the installation wizard.
b. Select the Yes, I have read and accept the license checkbox.
3. Click Next to continue. The Destination Folder screen displays.
4. (Optional) Click Change to choose an alternate folder destination for installation.
5. Click Next to continue.

A dialog displays during a new FortiClient installation and when upgrading from an older
FortiClient version that does not have the AV feature installed.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 30

Fortinet Inc.
 Provisioning

Uninstalling conflicting antivirus (AV) software before installing FortiClient or enabling the
real-time protection (RTP) feature is recommended. Alternatively, you can disable the
conflicting software's AV feature. When FortiClient connects to EMS, if the EMS-assigned
endpoint profile has RTP enabled and a third party AV product is installed, FortiClient
disables RTP.

Refer to the Microsoft knowledge base for caveats on installing AV software. See the
Microsoft Anti-Virus exclusion list.

6. Click Next. The Ready to install FortiClient screen displays.

7. Complete the installation:
a. Click Install.
b. Click Finish. On a new FortiClient installation, you do not need to reboot your system. When upgrading the
FortiClient version, you may need to restart your system for the configuration changes made to FortiClient to
take effect if there are changes in the driver versions. Select Yes to restart your system or select No to manually
restart later. FortiClient updates signatures and components from the FDN.
c. FortiClient attempts to connect FortiClient Telemetry to EMS.
d. To launch FortiClient, double-click the desktop shortcut.

Microsoft Server

You can install FortiClient on a Microsoft Windows Server. You can use the regular FortiClient Windows image for
Server installations.

Check the FortiClient (Windows) 7.4.1 Release Notes for supported Microsoft Windows
Server versions.

Refer to the Microsoft knowledge base for caveats on installing AV software in a server
environment. See the Microsoft Anti-Virus exclusion list.

macOS

The following instructions guide you though the manual installation of FortiClient on a macOS computer. For more
information, see the FortiClient (macOS) Release Notes.
After manually running the FortiClient installer on a macOS computer, you must enable certain permissions and perform
other actions for FortiClient to work properly. This topic provides instructions on the necessary configurations. The
process is as follows:
1. Install FortiClient on a macOS computer using the installer file. See To install FortiClient on a macOS computer: on
page 32.
2. Activate system extensions. See To activate system extensions: on page 32.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 31

Fortinet Inc.
Provisioning

3. (macOS 11 Big Sur and 10.15 Catalina only) Enable full disk access. See To enable full disk access: on page 32.
4. Enable notifications. See To enable notifications: on page 33.
Depending on what features are enabled on EMS, installing FortiClient (macOS) may require admin credentials to
handle prompts for system keychain changes and granting permissions under Security & Privacy.
For FortiClient upgrade, system certificates and security permissions remain unchanged, so no special user privileges
are required.

To install FortiClient on a macOS computer:

1. Double-click the FortiClient_7.4.1.xx_macosx .dmg installer file. The FortiClient for macOS dialog displays.
2. Double-click Install. The Welcome to the FortiClient Installer dialog displays.
3. (Optional) Click the lock icon in the upper-right corner to view certificate details and click OK to close the dialog.
Click Continue.
4. Read the Software License Agreement and click Continue. You have the option to print or save the Software
Agreement in this window. You are prompted to Agree with the terms of the license agreement.
5. If you agree with the terms of the license agreement, click Agree to continue the installation.
6. Depending on your system, you may be prompted to enter your system password.
7. After the installation completes successfully, Click Close to exit the installer. FortiClient has been saved to the
Applications folder.
8. If using macOS Mojave (version 10.14), you must reboot the macOS device after installing FortiClient (macOS).
FortiClient (macOS) displays the following prompt after installation. Click Restart System:

9. Double-click the FortiClient icon to launch the application. The application loads to your desktop.

To activate system extensions:

After you perform an initial install of FortiClient, the device prompts you to allow some settings for FortiClient processes.
You must have administrator credentials for the macOS machine to configure these changes.
See Activating system extensions.

To enable full disk access:

macOS 11 Big Sur and 10.15 Catalina include security setting changes, which require you to enable full disk access for
FortiClient services. If you do not grant full disk access to FortiClient services, FortiClient only provide partial protection
of files in the /Applications directory. The first time that FortiClient detects an attempt to run an executable file located in
another protected location on the endpoint as malware protection, macOS denies FortiClient access and prompts the
user to grant full disk access.
1. Go to System Preferences > Security & Privacy tab, and select Full Disk Access
2. To make changes, click lock icon on the bottom left, enter your credentials, and Unlock.
3. Select the following services to grant them full disk access:
l fctservctl2

l FortiClient

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 32

Fortinet Inc.
Provisioning

If you did not grant full disk access permissions for the daemons, you can check their status on the Settings tab under
Privacy Status. Click Open File Access to grant permissions for the daemons. If you do not configure this,
macOS displays a popup asking for permissions each time that you use a feature related to one of the daemons, such as
scanning for viruses.

To enable notifications:

After initial installation, macOS prompts the user to enable FortiClient (macOS) notifications.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 33

Fortinet Inc.
 Provisioning

1. Go to System Preferences > Notifications > FortiClientAgent.

2. Toggle Allow Notifications on.

Additional steps may be required if using Web Filter or RTP with FortiClient (macOS). See the
FortiClient (macOS) Release Notes for details.

Linux

The following instructions guide you though the installation of FortiClient on a Linux computer running Ubuntu, Red Hat,
or CentOS. For more information, see the FortiClient (Linux) Release Notes.
Various CLI commands are available for FortiClient (Linux) 7.4.1. See FortiClient (Linux) CLI commands on page 122.
Installing FortiClient (Linux) requires root or sudo privileges. Once FortiClient (Linux) is installed, it has root/sudo
privileges. So FortiClient (Linux) performs upgrades that FortiClient EMS triggers using the root privilege.

Installing FortiClient (Linux) using a downloaded installation file

To install on Red Hat or CentOS:

1. Obtain a FortiClient (Linux) installation rpm file.

2. In a terminal window, run the following command:
$ sudo dnf install <FortiClient installation rpm file> -y
<FortiClient installation rpm file> is the full path to the downloaded rpm file.
If running Red Hat 7, replace dnf with yum in the command in step 2.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 34

Fortinet Inc.
 Provisioning

To install on Ubuntu:

1. Obtain a FortiClient (Linux) installation deb file.

2. Install FortiClient using the following command:
$ sudo apt-get install <FortiClient installation deb file>
<FortiClient installation deb file> is the full path to the downloaded deb file.

Installing FortiClient (Linux) from repo.fortinet.com

To install on Red Hat or CentOS:

1. Add the repository:

sudo yum-config-manager --add-repo
https://repo.fortinet.com/repo/forticlient/7.4/centos/8/os/x86_64/fortinet.repo
2. Install FortiClient:
sudo yum install forticlient

To install on Fedora:

1. Add the repository:

sudo dnf config-manager --add-repo
https://repo.fortinet.com/repo/forticlient/7.4/centos/8/os/x86_64/fortinet.repo
2. Install FortiClient:
sudo yum install forticlient

To install on Ubuntu:

1. Install the gpg key:

wget -O - https://repo.fortinet.com/repo/forticlient/7.4/debian/DEB-GPG-KEY | gpg --
dearmor | sudo tee /usr/share/keyrings/repo.fortinet.com.gpg
2. Create /etc/apt/sources.list.d/repo.fortinet.com.list with the following content:
deb [arch=amd64 signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/repo.fortinet.com.gpg]
https://repo.fortinet.com/repo/forticlient/7.2/debian/ stable non-free
3. Update package lists:
sudo apt-get update
4. Install FortiClient:
sudo apt install forticlient

Installation folder and running processes

The FortiClient installation folder is /opt/forticlient. In case there are issues or you need to report a bug,
FortiClient logs are available in /var/log/forticlient.

Installing FortiClient on infected systems

The FortiClient installer always runs a quick AV scan on the target host system before proceeding with the complete
installation. If the system is clean, installation proceeds as usual.
Any virus found during this step is quarantined before installation continues.
In case a virus on an infected system prevents downloading the new FortiClient package, use the following process:

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 35

Fortinet Inc.
 Provisioning

1. Boot into “safe mode with networking”. The FortiClient installer requires this mode to download the latest signature
packages from the Fortinet Distribution Network.
2. Run the FortiClient installer.
This scans the entire file system. A log file is generated in the logs subdirectory. If a virus is found, it is quarantined.
When complete, reboot into normal mode and run the FortiClient installer to complete the installation.

Windows does not allow FortiClient installation to complete in safe mode. An error message is
generated. Rebooting into normal mode is necessary to complete the installation.

Installing FortiClient as part of cloned disk images

If you configure computers using a cloned hard disk image, you must remove the unique identifier from the FortiClient
application. You will encounter problems if you deploy multiple FortiClient applications with the same identifier.
This section describes how to include a custom FortiClient installation in a cloned hard disk image but remove its unique
identifier. On each computer configured with the cloned hard disk image, the FortiClient application generates its own
unique identifier the first time the computer is started.

To install FortiClient as part of cloned disk images:

1. Install the FortiClient application.

2. Right-click the FortiClient icon in the system tray and select Shutdown FortiClient.
3. From the folder where you expanded the FortiClientTools.zip file, run RemoveFCTID.exe. The RemoveFCTID tool
requires administrative rights.

Do not include the RemoveFCTID tool as part of a logon script.

4. Shut down the computer.

Do not reboot the Windows operating system on the computer before you create the hard
disk image. The FortiClient identifier is created before you log on.

5. Create the hard disk image and deploy it as needed.

Installing FortiClient using the CLI

You can install FortiClient using the CLI. When an EMS administrator creates a FortiClient installer as Adding a
FortiClient deployment package describes, EMS creates .exe and .msi installers. You can use either to install FortiClient:

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 36

Fortinet Inc.
 Provisioning

Installer file Description

.exe Includes custom modifications as configured when creating the deployment
package. You can double-click the file to run the installer or install FortiClient in
the CLI.
.msi You must use the .msi installer in combination with the .mst file., as the .msi file
does not include any custom modifications configured when creating the
deployment package. If using the .msi file, you must install FortiClient using the
CLI so that you can provide the accompanying .mst file. Otherwise, the custom
modifications are unavailable to FortiClient after installation.

The following table summarizes the installation options available when using the CLI. All of the following options are
available if you use the .exe file. If you use the .msi file with the .mst file, not all of the following options are available, as
you are constrained by the CLI options that Windows Installer permits. See Command-Line Options.

Option Description
/quiet Installation is in quiet mode and requires no user interaction.
/passive Installation is in unattended mode, showing only the progress bar.
/norestart Does not restart the machine after installation is complete.
/promptrestart Prompts you to restart the machine if necessary.
/forcerestart Always restarts the machine after installation.
/uninstallfamily Uninstalls FortiClient. With this option, the FortiClient installer detects
whatever version of FortiClient is installed and uninstalls it. For
example, a FortiClient 7.4.1 installer can detect and uninstall an
installed copy of FortiClient 7.0.0.
/log <path to log file> Creates a log file in the specified directory with the specified name.

The following example installs FortiClient build 1131 in quiet mode, does not restart the machine after installation, and
creates a log file with the name "example" in the c:\temp directory, using the .exe file:
FortiClientSetup_7.4.1.1131_x64.exe /quiet /norestart /log c:\temp\example.log

The following example installs FortiClient using the .msi and .mst files, and creates a log file with the name "output":
msiexec.exe /i "FortiClient.msi" TRANSFORMS="FortiClient.mst" /log output.log

Manually installing a FortiClient hotfix

You can manually install a FortiClient hotfix after receiving the installer link from your EMS administrator. A hotfix
contains a subset of the FortiClient binaries to address a specific issue and reduces the risk of unintended side effects.

To manually download and install a hotfix:

1. Go to the download link that your EMS administrator provided.

2. The page includes the base installer and hotfix folder. If the endpoint already has the desired FortiClient version
installed, download just the hotfix installer, hotfix.exe.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 37

Fortinet Inc.
 Provisioning

3. Install the hotfix by doing one of the following:

l (Recommended) Use the command line to install the hotfix. In Command Prompt, run hotfix.exe -h to

view available parameters. Installing the hotfix using the command line is recommended so that you can use
these parameters. For example, you may run hotfix.exe --test to verify that the installed FortiClient
version is compatible with the hotfix. Run hotfix.exe to install FortiClient.

l Double-click hotfix.exe.

To uninstall a hotfix, you can run hotfix.exe -u in Command Prompt. This command only uninstalls the hotfix and
does not affect the FortiClient installation.

Centralized FortiClient deployment

You can centrally deploy FortiClient to multiple endpoints. See:

l FortiClient EMS on page 38
l Deploying FortiClient using Microsoft AD servers on page 39
l Intune Deployment Guide

FortiClient EMS

You can deploy FortiClient to multiple endpoints using deployment configurations in EMS. See Deployment & Installers.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 38

Fortinet Inc.
 Provisioning

Deploying FortiClient using Microsoft AD servers

There are multiple ways to deploy FortiClient MSI packages to endpoints including using AD servers. See Firmware
images and tools on page 27.

The following instructions are based on Microsoft Windows Server 2008. If you are using a
different version of Microsoft Server, your MMC or snap-in locations may differ.

Deploying FortiClient with Microsoft AD

To deploy FortiClient with Microsoft AD:

1. On your domain controller, create a distribution point.

2. Log into the server computer as an administrator.
3. Create a shared network folder where the FortiClient MSI installer file is distributed from.
4. Set file permissions on the share to allow access to the distribution package. Copy the FortiClient MSI installer
package into this share folder.
5. Select Start > Administrative Tools > Active Directory Users and Computers.
6. After selecting your domain, right-click to select a new organizational unit (OU).
7. Move all the computers you want to distribute the FortiClient software to into the newly-created OU.
8. Create a group policy object (GPO), then create the FortiClient installer package:
a. Select Start > Administrative Tools > Group Policy Management. The Group Policy Management MMC Snap-in
opens. Select the OU you just created. Right-click it, Select Create a GPO in this domain, and link it here. Give
the new GPO a name then select OK.
b. Expand the GPO container and find the newly created GPO. Right-click the GPO and select Edit. The Group
Policy Management Editor MMC Snap-in opens.
c. Expand Computer Configuration > Policies > Software Settings. Right-click Software Settings and select New >
Package.
d. Select the path of your distribution point and FortiClient installer file and then select Open. Select Assigned and
select OK. The package is then generated.
9. If you want to expedite the installation process, on the server and client computers, force a GPO update. The
software is installed on the client computer’s next reboot. You can also wait for the client computer to poll the
domain controller for GPO changes and install the software then.

Uninstalling FortiClient with Microsoft AD

To uninstall FortiClient with Microsoft AD:

1. On your domain controller, select Start > Administrative Tools > Group Policy Management. The Group Policy
Management MMC Snap-in opens. Expand the Group Policy Objects container and right-click the Group Policy
Object you created to install FortiClient and select Edit. The Group Policy Management Editor opens.
2. Select Computer Configuration > Policy > Software Settings > Software Installation. You can see the package used
to install FortiClient.
3. Right-click the package and select All Tasks > Remove. Choose Immediately to uninstall the software from users
and computers, or Allow users to continue to use the software but prevent new installations. Select OK. The
package deletes.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 39

Fortinet Inc.
 Provisioning

4. If you want to expedite the uninstall process on both the server and client computers, force a GPO update as shown
in the previous section. The software is uninstalled on the client computer’s next reboot. You can also wait for the
client computer to poll the domain controller for GPO changes and uninstall the software then.

Uninstalling FortiClient

To uninstall FortiClient:

1. The EMS administrator deregisters the endpoint. See Disconnecting and connecting endpoints.
2. In FortiClient, on the Zero Trust Telemetry tab, disconnect from EMS. EMS no longer manages the endpoint.
3. Go to Settings, then unlock the configuration.
4. In the Windows System Tray, right-click the FortiTray icon, then select Shutdown FortiClient.
5. Once FortiClient is shutdown, uninstall FortiClient using the Windows Add/Remove Programs application.

To uninstall a FortiClient hotfix:

To uninstall a hotfix, you can run hotfix.exe -u in Command Prompt. This command only uninstalls the hotfix and
does not affect the FortiClient installation.

Upgrading FortiClient

For information about supported upgrade paths for FortiClient, see the FortiClient and FortiClient EMS Upgrade Paths.
An administrator controls FortiClient upgrades for you. See EMS and automatic upgrade of FortiClient on page 21.
Depending on the EMS configuration, you may be able to schedule the installation and/or reboot time. FortiClient
upgrades only require a system reboot when it requires a driver upgrade.

To upgrade FortiClient:

1. Consider that the EMS administrator schedules a FortiClient deployment. After the endpoint downloads the
FortiClient deployment package, do one of the following to open the setup dialog:
a. A FortiClient installation icon appears in the system tray. Double-click the icon.

b. On the Zero Trust Telemetry and About tabs, FortiClient displays a notification banner regarding the available

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 40

Fortinet Inc.
Provisioning

update. Click Install Now.

2. Select an option in the setup dialog to schedule the installation.

Once installation begins, you can double-click the tray icon to see the progress. If you choose not to schedule the
upgrade on the endpoint, the upgrade proceeds at the time that the EMS administrator has configured. See
Creating a deployment configuration.
3. After installation completes, if FortiClient requires a driver upgrade, a reboot prompt displays. You can also open the
prompt from the tray icon. You can reboot now or select Remind me in 15 minutes. The reboot prompt reappears in
15 minutes if you select this option. You can only defer the reboot for 15 minutes once.

The system tray tooltip displays the amount of time left before the reboot will occur, and FortiClient displays
warnings before the 15 minutes elapses. Attempts to open the GUI before rebooting open the reboot prompt instead

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 41

Fortinet Inc.
 Provisioning

of the GUI. After system reboot, drivers update and the installation process completes. The endpoint shows a tray
notification stating Installation Complete.

Verifying ports and services and connection between EMS and

FortiClient

Ports and services

If your FortiClient is installed on a domain-joined endpoints and your administrator has followed the instructions in
Preparing the AD server for deployment, you can use the following CLI command to verify the SMB and RPC services
are bound to ports 445 and 135, respectively:
netstat -ano | find “<port number>”

a: displays all connections and listening ports

n: displays addresses and port numbers in numerical form
o: displays process ID (PID) associated with each connection
The following shows that Windows is listening to port TCP/135 and TCP/445 on a particular interface: 0.0.0.0 in this
case. The PIDs are 768 and 4.

You can confirm the process by finding the returned PIDs on the Task Manager Details tab.
You can also use this command on the EMS server. See the FortiClient EMS Administration Guide.

Connectivity between EMS and FortiClient

In addition to the services running correctly, there must be connectivity between EMS and the endpoint. This section
defines connectivity as a route and traffic on a given port. You can use Command Prompt and the built-in Telnet
application to verify this. Ensure that Telnet is enabled on your device by going to Control Panel > Turn Windows
features on or off, and ensuring that the Telnet Client checkbox is selected. In this example, 192.168.1.200 is the
EMS server IP address, and 8013 is the port that is being checked:
telnet 192.168.1.200 8013

If the command is successful, Command Prompt returns _. Since the service on 8013 is not Telnet, this is the expected
result.

If the command is unsuccessful, Command Prompt returns a warning that the connection could not be opened.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 42

Fortinet Inc.
Provisioning

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 43

Fortinet Inc.
User details

You can view and edit user details by clicking the user avatar in the upper left corner of FortiClient. Depending on your
EMS configuration, FortiClient may display a notification where you can also specify your user details.

Viewing user details

When an administrator configures FortiClient to send logs to FortiAnalyzer or FortiManager,

some user details are visible in FortiAnalyzer, FortiManager, and FortiOS. See Sending logs
and Windows host events to FortiAnalyzer or FortiManager on page 102.

Click the user avatar in the upper left corner of FortiClient to view the following information:

Full name Displays the endpoint user's name if added by the endpoint user.

Phone Displays the endpoint user's phone number if added by the endpoint user. See
Retrieving user details from cloud applications on page 45 and Adding your phone
number and email address manually on page 46.

Email Displays the endpoint user's email address if added by the endpoint user. See
Retrieving user details from cloud applications on page 45 and Adding your phone
number and email address manually on page 46.

Get personal info from Displays the source of the endpoint user's personal information and the last time
the information was updated. The options are user-specified, from the OS, and
from cloud applications: LinkedIn, Google, and Salesforce. Depending on the
EMS configuration, not all options may be available.
You can click User Input to select an image or take a webcam photo to use as the
user avatar.
You can provide information to FortiClient from an account for a cloud application,
such as a Linkedin, Google, or Salesforce account. After the endpoint user logs
into the account, FortiClient attempts to retrieve the following information when
available: name, avatar, phone number, and email address. See Retrieving user
details from cloud applications on page 45.
By default, FortiClient displays user details from the endpoint OS and sends this
information to EMS. If you provide details using one of the methods above,
FortiClient displays those details and sends that information to EMS instead.

Status Displays whether the endpoint is online or offline, on- or off-fabric. See On-/off-
fabric status with EMS on page 51.

Hostname Displays the hostname of the endpoint where FortiClient is installed.

Domain Displays the name of the domain to which the endpoint is connected, if applicable.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 44

Fortinet Inc.
User details

Security Posture Tags Displays the tags that have been applied to the endpoint depending on the
security posture tagging rules configured in EMS. Tags may or may not be visible
depending on the EMS configuration.

FortiGuard Outbreak Displays the tags that have been applied to the endpoint depending on the
Detections FortiGuard outbreak detection rules configured in EMS. Tags may or may not be
visible depending on the EMS configuration.

Retrieving user details from cloud applications

You can direct FortiClient to retrieve information about you from one of the following cloud applications, if you have an
account. Depending on the EMS configuration, not all options may be available:
l LinkedIn
l Google
l Salesforce
FortiClient attempts to retrieve the following information after you log in:
l Username
l Phone number
l Email address
l Picture
FortiClient displays the retrieved information. The information is encrypted and only FortiClient can access it. FortiClient
does not retrieve or save the password for your social media account.
Consider a situation where two users, User A and User B, use the same computer:
1. User A logs into the computer and provides their social media information in FortiClient.
2. FortiClient retrieves and displays User A's social media information while User A is logged in.
3. User A logs out of the computer.
4. User B logs into the computer.
5. FortiClient no longer displays User A's social media information. If User B previously provided their social media
information, this automatically displays. Otherwise FortiClient displays the avatar for User B's OS account. If it was
not previously provided, User B provides their social media information, which displays in FortiClient.
6. User B logs out and User A logs in. FortiClient displays User A's social media information.

If User A or B do not log out of their account and instead lock the screen or switch
accounts, FortiClient may display either user's social media information to both users.

Although FortiClient can retrieve the endpoint user's username from cloud applications, the
retrieved username does not display in FortiClient. Instead, the retrieved username is included
in FortiClient logs with the phone number and email address. You can view log content in
FortiOS, FortiAnalyzer, and FortiManager. See Sending logs and Windows host events to
FortiAnalyzer or FortiManager on page 102.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 45

Fortinet Inc.
User details

You can manually specify an avatar for FortiClient to use and edit the phone number and email address. See Specifying
the user avatar manually on page 46 and Adding your phone number and email address manually on page 46.
1. Click the user avatar in the upper left corner of FortiClient.
2. Click one of the following links:
l Linkedin

l Google

l Salesforce

3. A browser window opens. Log into your account.

4. Click Allow to grant FortiClient permission to use your information.

Adding your phone number and email address manually

Although FortiClient can retrieve information from a cloud application account, you can manually add or edit a phone
number or email address in FortiClient.

The phone number can be a maximum of 30 characters and can include any of the following
characters: 0123456789-+x

To add a phone number and email address manually:

1. Click the user avatar in the upper left corner of FortiClient.

2. Click Add Phone, enter the phone number, and press Enter.
3. Click Add Email, enter the email address, and press Enter.

To edit a phone number or email address:

1. Click the user avatar in the upper left corner of FortiClient.

2. Click the phone number or email address, edit the information, and press Enter.

Specifying the user avatar manually

Although FortiClient can retrieve an avatar from Windows, an AD server, or a cloud application, you can add an avatar to
FortiClient by taking a photo or uploading an avatar .
1. Click the user avatar in the upper left corner of FortiClient.
2. Under Get personal info from, click User Input.
3. Take a photo using the webcam, or select an existing image file.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 46

Fortinet Inc.
 User details

User Profile notification

Depending on your EMS configuration, FortiClient may display a notification where you can also specify your user
details. You can enter your identity information manually or log in to your LinkedIn, Google, or Salesforce account for
FortiClient to retrieve the information from that account. Not all options may be available depending on your EMS
configuration. If you close the notification without specifying your identity, the notification displays every ten minutes until
you submit your identity information.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 47

Fortinet Inc.
Zero Trust Telemetry

The Zero Trust Telemetry tab displays whether FortiClient Telemetry is connected to EMS. You can use the Zero Trust
Telemetry tab to manually connect FortiClient Telemetry to EMS and to disconnect FortiClient Telemetry from EMS.

FortiClient Telemetry

FortiClient can use a server IP address/FQDN or invitation code to connect FortiClient Telemetry to EMS or an invitation
code to connect Telemetry to FortiClient Cloud.

Telemetry data

When FortiClient Telemetry is connected to EMS, FortiClient collects the following data about the endpoint and its
workload and sends it to EMS:
l Hardware information, such as MAC addresses
l Software information, such as the OS version on the endpoint
l Identification information, such as username, avatar, and hostname
l Vulnerability information that the vulnerability scanning module reports
When EMS is participating in the Security Fabric, the Security Fabric uses the information to understand the endpoint
and its workload to better protect it.

Connecting FortiClient Telemetry after installation

After FortiClient software installation completes on an endpoint, you can connect FortiClient to EMS. After FortiClient
Telemetry connects to EMS, FortiClient receives an endpoint policy from EMS. A system tray bubble message displays
once the download is complete. The endpoint policy may contain an endpoint profile of configuration information as well
as a Telemetry server list.

You can use these processes to connect Telemetry to EMS after the FortiClient endpoint
reboots, rejoins the network, or encounters a network change.

To automatically connect to an on-premise EMS:

FortiClient may automatically launch and connect Telemetry to the EMS server that created the installed deployment
package.
1. When FortiClient locates EMS, the Connecting FortiClient Telemetry dialog displays when EMS requests the
FortiClient telemetry connection key. The following options are available:

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 48

Fortinet Inc.
 Zero Trust Telemetry

Endpoint User Displays the name of the endpoint

user logged into the endpoint.

Logged into Domain Displays the domain name if

applicable.

Hostname Displays the endpoint name.

FortiClient Telemetry Connection Key Enter the connection key.

Remember FortiClient Telemetry Connection Key Select for FortiClient to remember the
connection key.

Remember this Endpoint Management Server (EMS) Select for FortiClient to remember the
IP address of the EMS you are
connecting Telemetry to. See
Remembering gateway IP addresses
on page 50.

2. Click OK to connect FortiClient Telemetry to the identified EMS.

To manually connect FortiClient to on-premise EMS:

1. Based on your EMS configuration, you will do one of the following:

a. If your FortiClient automatically launches after installation and prompts you for credentials, such as Active
Directory credentials, enter the credentials. This connects FortiClient to EMS.
b. If your FortiClient does not automatically launch after installation, do the following:
i. Launch FortiClient.
ii. On the Zero Trust Telemetry tab, in the Register with Zero Trust Fabric field, manually enter the EMS IP
address or invitation code.
iii. If multitenancy is enabled on EMS and you must register to a specific site, click the Switch to IP connect
button, then enter the site name in the Site Name field. If multitenancy is enabled on EMS but you do not
provide a site name, FortiClient connects to the default site.

To connect to FortiClient Cloud:

1. After initial installation, FortiClient should automatically register to FortiClient Cloud. If FortiClient did not
automatically register to FortiClient Cloud, enter the invitation code in the Register with Zero Trust Fabric field on the
Zero Trust Telemetry tab in FortiClient. Your EMS administrator should have provided the code to you.
2. Click Connect. FortiClient is managed by FortiClient Cloud.

Reauthenticating your identity

If your EMS administrator has configured a reauthentication timeout, you may need to periodically reauthenticate to
maintain your connection to EMS. This is configured using the User Verification Period field in EMS. See Configuring
EMS settings.

To reauthenticate your identity in FortiClient:

1. A notification appears on FortiClient five days before the reauthentication timeout. Click Sign-in to initiate
reauthentication.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 49

Fortinet Inc.
 Zero Trust Telemetry

2. FortiClient displays an authentication dialog. The Username field is grayed out to prevent the user from
reauthenticating as a different user. In the Password field, enter your password.

3. Click Sign in. If you provide the correct password, FortiClient remains connected to EMS, and the warning
disappears until the next reauthentication cycle. If reauthentication fails, the Telemetry status displays as Not
reachable, the verified user logs off, and FortiClient displays a dialog to initiate the onboarding process. For a new
onboarding process, the Username field is available.

Remembering gateway IP addresses

When you confirm Telemetry connection to EMS, you can instruct FortiClient to remember the EMS IP address. If a
connection key is required, FortiClient remembers the connection key too. FortiClient can remember up to 20 IP
addresses for EMS.
The remembered IP addresses display in the local gateway IP list. FortiClient can use the remembered gateway IP
addresses to automatically connect to EMS.
See Forgetting a gateway IP address on page 51.

To remember a gateway IP address:

1. In the Connecting FortiClient Telemetry dialog, select the Remember this Endpoint Management Server (EMS)
checkbox.
2. Click Accept. FortiClient remembers the IP address and password, if applicable.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 50

Fortinet Inc.
 Zero Trust Telemetry

Forgetting a gateway IP address

When you instruct FortiClient to forget an IP address for EMS, FortiClient Telemetry does not use the IP address to
automatically connect to EMS when rejoining the network.

To forget a gateway IP address:

1. On the Zero Trust Telemetry tab, click the menu icon beside the Disconnect button.
2. In the Remembered Server List, click Forget beside the IP addresses you no longer want FortiClient to remember.

Disconnecting FortiClient Telemetry

You must disconnect FortiClient Telemetry from EMS to connect to another EMS or to disable and uninstall FortiClient.
An EMS administrator may disconnect FortiClient for you. This is sometimes referred to as deregistering FortiClient.
When an EMS administrator disconnects FortiClient Telemetry for you, the Telemetry server list is also removed from
FortiClient.

To disconnect FortiClient Telemetry:

1. On the Zero Trust Telemetry tab, click Disconnect. A confirmation dialog displays.
2. Click Yes to disconnect FortiClient Telemetry from EMS.

After you disconnect FortiClient Telemetry from EMS, FortiClient Telemetry automatically
connects with EMS when you rejoin the network.

Compliance with EMS and FortiOS

In FortiClient 7.4.1, compliance depends on EMS and FortiOS. This feature is only available if using FortiClient 7.4.1 with
EMS 7.4.1 and FortiOS 7.4.1.
The administrator can define security posture tagging rules in EMS based on criteria such as certificates, the logged in
domain, files present, OS versions, running processes, and registry keys. When a FortiClient endpoint registers to EMS,
EMS dynamically groups the endpoint based on the security posture tagging rules. FortiOS can receive the dynamic
endpoint groups from EMS and use them to create dynamic firewall policies. The endpoint may be unable to access the
network based on the security posture tagging rules.
See the FortiClient EMS Administration Guide.

On-/off-fabric status with EMS

Endpoints must connect FortiClient Telemetry to EMS for FortiClient to use an on-fabric, off-fabric, or offline status.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 51

Fortinet Inc.
 Zero Trust Telemetry

When FortiClient connects Telemetry to EMS, FortiClient determines whether the endpoint has an on- or off-fabric
status. See On-fabric Detection Rules.

Logging to FortiAnalyzer

When FortiClient endpoints are on-fabric and logging to FortiAnalyzer is configured, FortiClient logs are sent to
FortiAnalyzer. However, when FortiClient endpoints are off-fabric, and FortiAnalyzer is not reachable, FortiClient logs
are held for the log retention period, and sent to FortiAnalyzer when FortiClient is on-fabric again. By default, FortiClient
logs are held for 90 days. You can control the log retention period by using the <log_retention_days> element in the
XML configuration. See the FortiClient XML Reference Guide.

Quarantined endpoints

In certain situations, an administrator may quarantine an endpoint. When an endpoint is quarantined, the following page
displays, and the endpoint user loses network access. Contact your system administrator for assistance.

If the EMS administrator customized the quarantine message, the message may display differently than the example
above. In the following example, the EMS administrator has added a phone number to the message.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 52

Fortinet Inc.
Zero Trust Telemetry

After the endpoint is quarantined, you can select the Enter a one-time access code checkbox and enter the code to
access the FortiClient GUI. You can obtain the access code from the EMS administrator.

After using the code to access the FortiClient GUI, you can remove the endpoint from quarantine by clicking the
Unquarantine button.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 53

Fortinet Inc.
Remote Access

FortiClient supports both IPsec and SSL VPN connections to your network for remote access. Administrators can use
EMS to provision VPN configurations for FortiClient and endpoint users can configure new VPN connections using
FortiClient.

When configuring and forming VPN connections, note that in FortiClient the user password is
saved only for the user who entered it. It is not accessible in FortiClient to the device's other
users. All other information is visible in FortiClient when other users are logged into the same
device.

Configuring VPN connections

You can configure SSL and IPsec VPN connections using FortiClient.

Configuring an SSL VPN connection

To configure an SSL VPN connection:

1. On the Remote Access tab, click Configure VPN.

2. Select SSL-VPN, then configure the following settings:

Connection Name Enter a name for the connection.

Description (Optional) Enter a description for the connection.

Remote Gateway Enter the remote gateway's IP address/hostname. You can configure multiple
remote gateways by separating each entry with a semicolon. If one gateway is
not available, the VPN connects to the next configured gateway.

Customize port Change the port. The default port is 443.

Enable Single Sign On (SSO) Enable SAML SSO for the VPN tunnel. For this feature to function, the
for VPN Tunnel administrator must have configured the necessary options on the Service
Provider and Identity Provider. See SAML support for SSL VPN.

Use external browser as FortiClient can use a browser as an external user-agent to perform SAML
user-agent for saml user authentication for SSL VPN tunnel mode, instead of the FortiClient embedded
authentication login window. If a user has already authenticated using SAML in the default
browser, they do not need to reauthenticate in the FortiClient built-in browser.
Available if Enable Single Sign On (SSO) for VPN Tunnel is enabled. See
Using a browser as an external user-agent for SAML authentication in an SSL
VPN connection.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 54

Fortinet Inc.
 Remote Access

Client Certificate Select Prompt on connect or the certificate from the dropdown list.

Authentication Select Prompt on login or Save login. The Disable option is available when
Prompt on connect or a certificate is configured for Client Certificate.

Username If you selected Save login, enter the username to save for the login.

Enable Dual-stack IPv4/IPv6 Enable or disable FortiClient to establish a dual stack SSL VPN tunnel to allow
address both IPv4 and IPv6 traffic to pass through. See Dual stack IPv4 and IPv6
support for SSL VPN.

+ Select the add icon to add a new connection.

- Select a connection and then select the delete icon to delete a connection.

3. Click Save to save the VPN connection.

FortiClient supports split DNS tunneling for SSL VPN portals, which allows you to specify
which domains the DNS server specified by the VPN resolves, while the DNS specified locally
resolves all other domains. This requires configuring split DNS support in FortiOS. Microsoft
Windows 8.1 does not support this feature.

If using FortiClient on a Windows Server 2016 machine, ensure that you disable IE Enhanced
Security. Otherwise, SSL VPN may not function as configured.

Configuring an IPsec VPN connection

FortiClient connects to IPsec VPN only when it is connected to EMS. Otherwise, FortiClient cannot connect to the IPsec
VPN tunnel.
FortiClient (Linux) does not support creating personal IPsec VPN tunnels.

To configure an IPsec VPN connection:

1. On the Remote Access tab, click Configure VPN.

2. Select IPsec VPN, then configure the following settings:

Connection Name Enter a name for the connection.

Description (Optional) Enter a description for the connection.

Remote Gateway Enter the remote gateway IP address/hostname. You can

configure multiple remote gateways. If one gateway is not
available, the VPN connects to the next configured gateway.

Authentication Method Select X.509 Certificate or Pre-shared Key in the dropdown list.
When you select x.509 Certificate, select Prompt on connect or a
certificate from the list.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 55

Fortinet Inc.
Remote Access

Authentication (XAuth) Select Prompt on login, Save login, or Disable. Available if IKE
version 1 is selected.

Authentication (EAP) Select Prompt on login, Save login, or Disable. Available if IKE
version 2 is selected.

Failover SSL VPN If the IPsec VPN connection fails, FortiClient attempts to connect
to the specified SSL VPN tunnel.

Enable Single Sign On (SSO) for VPN Enable SAML SSO for the VPN tunnel. For this feature to function,
Tunnel the administrator must have configured the necessary options on
the service and identity providers (IdP).

Customize port Enter the port number that FortiClient uses to communicate with
the FortiGate, which acts as the SAML service provider.

Username If you selected Save login, enter the username to save for the
login.

Advanced Settings Configure VPN settings, phase 1, and phase 2 settings.

VPN Settings

IKE Select Version 1 or Version 2.

Mode Available if IKE version 1 is selected. Select one of the following:

l Main: Phase 1 parameters are exchanged in multiple rounds

with encrypted authentication information.

l Aggressive: Phase 1 parameters are exchanged in a single

message with authentication information that is not encrypted.

Although Main mode is more secure, you must select Aggressive
mode if there is more than one dialup phase 1 configuration for the
interface IP address, and the remote VPN peer or client is
authenticated using an identifier (local ID).

Options Select one of the following:

l Mode Config: IKE Mode Config can configure host IP
address, domain, DNS and WINS addresses.
l Manually Set: Manual key configuration. If one of the VPN
devices is manually keyed, the other VPN device must also be
manually keyed with the identical authentication and
encryption keys. Enter the DNS server IP address and the IP
address and subnet values to assign. Select the checkbox to
enable split tunneling.
l DHCP over IPsec: DHCP over IPsec can assign an IP
address, domain, DNS and WINS addresses. Select the
checkbox to enable split tunneling.

Phase 1 Select the encryption and authentication algorithms used to

generate keys for protecting negotiations and add encryption and
authentication algorithms as required.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 56

Fortinet Inc.
Remote Access

You need to select a minimum of one and a maximum of two

combinations. The remote peer or client must be configured to use
at least one of the proposals that you define.

IKE Proposal Select symmetric-key algorithms (encryption) and message

digests (authentication) from the dropdown lists.

DH Group Select one or more Diffie-Hellman groups. At least one of the DH

group settings on the remote peer or client must match one the
selections on the FortiGate unit. Failure to match one or more DH
groups results in failed negotiations.

Key Life Enter the time (in seconds) that must pass before the IKE
encryption key expires. When the key expires, a new key is
generated without interrupting service. The key life can be from
120 to 172,800 seconds.

Local ID Enter the local ID (optional). This local ID value must match the
peer ID value given for the remote VPN peer’s peer options.

Dead Peer Select this checkbox to reestablish VPN tunnels on idle

Detection connections and clean up dead IKE peers if required.

NAT Traversal Select the checkbox if a NAT device exists between the client and
the local FortiGate unit. The client and the local FortiGate unit must
have the same NAT traversal setting (both selected or both
cleared) to connect reliably.

Phase 2 Select the encryption and authentication algorithms that are

proposed to the remote VPN peer. You can specify up to two
proposals. To establish a VPN connection, at least one of the
proposals you specify must match configuration on the remote
peer.

IKE Proposal Select symmetric-key algorithms (encryption) and message

digests (authentication) from the dropdown lists.

Key Life The Key Life setting sets a limit on the length of time that a phase 2
key can be used. The default units are seconds. Alternatively, you
can set a limit on the number of kilobytes (KB) of processed data,
or both. If you select both, the key expires when the time has
passed or the number of KB have been processed. When the
phase 2 key expires, a new key is generated without interrupting
service.

Enable Replay Replay detection enables the unit to check all IPsec packets to see
Detection if they have been received before. If any encrypted packets arrive
out of order, the unit discards them.

Enable Perfect Select the checkbox to enable perfect forward secrecy (PFS). PFS
Forward Secrecy forces a new Diffie-Hellman exchange when the tunnel starts and
(PFS) whenever the phase 2 key life expires, causing a new key to be
generated each time.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 57

Fortinet Inc.
 Remote Access

DH Group Select one Diffie-Hellman (DH) group. This must match the DH
group the remote peer or dialup client uses.

+ Select the add icon to add a new connection.

- Select a connection and then select the delete icon to delete a

connection.

3. Click Save to save the VPN connection.

Connecting VPNs

You can connect VPN tunnels to FortiGate:

Connecting to SSL or IPsec VPN

Depending on the FortiClient configuration, you may also have permission to edit an existing VPN connection and delete
an existing VPN connection.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 58

Fortinet Inc.
Remote Access

Internet Explorer's SSL and TLS settings should be the same as those on the FortiGate.

For FortiClient (macOS), VPN connections requriing FIDO2 authentication is only supported
with FortiOS 7.0.1 and later versions.

To connect to SSL or IPsec VPN:

1. On the Remote Access tab, select the VPN connection from the dropdown list.
Optionally, you can right-click the FortiTray icon in the system tray and select a VPN configuration to connect.

Provisioned VPN connections are listed under Corporate VPNs. Locally configured VPN
connections are listed under Personal VPNs.

2. Enter your username and password.

3. If a certificate is required, select a certificate. If the VPN tunnel was configured to require a certificate, you must
select a certificate. If no certificate is required, the option is hidden in FortiClient. Your administrator may have
configured FortiClient to automatically locate a certificate for you.
4. Click the Connect button. Depending on the configuration received from EMS, you may also need to accept a
disclaimer message to establish the connection.
When connected, FortiClient displays the connection status, duration, and other relevant information. You can
browse your remote network. Click the Disconnect button when you are ready to terminate the VPN session.
Based on the security posture tagging rules that your EMS administrator has configured, your endpoint may be
unable to connect to VPN. The following shows the notification that the you see when your connection to the VPN
tunnel is prohibited due to the applied security posture tags. After you fix the vulnerabilities, FortiClient is allowed to
establish the VPN connection.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 59

Fortinet Inc.
 Remote Access

Free 30-day VPN access

For 30 days after initial FortiClient installation, you can configure and establish a VPN connection to a FortiGate, allowing
the endpoint to reach an EMS behind a FortiGate. This is especially useful for remote users, as it allows them to connect
to the corporate network to activate their FortiClient license.
The following shows the GUI in this scenario. You can see that the user can access the VPN feature until July 8, 2019,
meaning that they initially installed FortiClient 30 days earlier, on June 8, 2019. If the user does not use a VPN tunnel to
activate their FortiClient license by 5:29 PM on July 8, as shown, FortiClient revokes the VPN access and all FortiClient
features, including VPN, stop working.

Following successful registration to EMS, FortiClient receives a full license if available from EMS. EMS enables all
FortiClient features that are configured on the assigned endpoint profile and were included when installing FortiClient.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 60

Fortinet Inc.
 Remote Access

If FortiClient was registered to EMS and licensed for VPN, then becomes unregistered, the
free 30-day VPN access becomes available again.

If FortiClient goes offline after registering to EMS, FortiClient features remain enabled for 30
days. You can still establish a VPN connection to the FortiGate in this scenario.

Connecting VPN with FortiToken Mobile

VPN connections may require network authentication that uses a token from FortiToken Mobile, an application that runs
on Android and iOS devices. For information about FortiToken Mobile, see the Fortinet Document Library.
You can configure FortiGate to let you push a token from FortiToken Mobile to FortiGate to complete network
authentication when connecting VPNs. When configured, you can select the push token option by clicking the FTM Push
button in FortiClient. This notifies the FortiGate that you choose to use the push token option. Following this, you receive
a notification of the authentication request on your device that has FortiToken Mobile installed. On your device, you can
tap the notification and follow the instructions to allow or deny the authentication requests.
If a push token is not configured, you must enter a token code from FortiToken Mobile into FortiClient when connecting
VPNs.
You must have available the device with FortiToken Mobile installed to complete this procedure.

To connect VPN with FortiToken Mobile using push notifications:

1. On the Remote Access tab, select the VPN connection from the dropdown list.
2. Enter your username and password and click the Connect button. The Click on 'FTM Push' or enter token code box
displays.

3. Click FTM Push. Your device with FortiToken Mobile installed receives a notification.
4. On your device with FortiToken Mobile installed, tap the notification and follow the instructions to allow the
authentication request and complete network authentication without typing the token code. You can also deny the
authentication request, or do nothing and let the notification request expire.

To connect VPN with FortiToken Mobile by entering a token code:

1. On the Remote Access tab, select the VPN connection from the dropdown list.
2. Enter your username and password and click the Connect button. The Enter token code box displays.
3. Enter the token code from FortiToken Mobile and click OK to complete network authentication.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 61

Fortinet Inc.
 Remote Access

Save password, auto connect, and always up

When an administrator uses EMS to configure a profile for FortiClient, the administrator can configure an IPsec or SSL
VPN connection to FortiGate and enable the following features:

Feature Description

Save Password Allows the user to save the VPN connection password in FortiClient.
Disabling Save Password deselects Auto Connect and Always Up.

Auto Connect When FortiClient launches, the VPN connection automatically connects.
Automatic connection to the VPN tunnel may fail if the endpoint boots up with a
user profile set to automatic logon. See Appendix E - VPN autoconnect on page
131 for configuration examples.
Enabling autoconnect enables Save Password.
Autoconnect tunnels pushed from EMS have Save Password and Auto Connect
enabled and grayed out.

Always Up (Keep Alive) When selected, the VPN connection is always up. If the connection fails, possibly
due to network errors, FortiClient attempts to reconnect. If credentials (username
and password) are saved, FortiClient attempts to reconnect silently. If credentials
are insufficient (for instance, multifactor authentication is required or password is
not saved), FortiClient prompts for credentials.
Enabling always up enables Save Password.

After FortiClient Telemetry connects to EMS, FortiClient receives a profile from EMS that contains IPsec and/or SSL
VPN connections to FortiGate. The following example shows an SSL VPN connection named test(1).

If the VPN connection fails, a popup displays to inform you about the connection failure while FortiClient continues trying
to reconnect VPN in the background.
Depending on the VPN configuration, the popup may include a Cancel button. If you click the Cancel button, FortiClient
stops trying to reconnect VPN.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 62

Fortinet Inc.
 Remote Access

Access to certificates in Windows Certificates Stores

On a Windows system, you can view certificates by using an MMC (Microsoft Management Console) snap-in called
Certificates console. For more information, see the following Microsoft TechNet articles:
l Add the Certificates Snap-in to an MMC
l Display Certificate Stores
The Certificates console offers the following snap-in options:
l My user account
l Service account
l Computer account
You can select one or more snap-in options, which display in the Certificates console. FortiClient typically searches for
certificates in one of the following accounts:
l User account – contains certificates for the logged on user
l Computer account – contains certificates for the local computer
If the certificate is in the local computer account, FortiClient can typically access the certificate. A certificate from the
local computer account may be used to establish an IPsec VPN connection, regardless of whether the logged on user is
an administrator or a non-administrator. For SSL VPN and IPsec VPN, the administrator needs to grant permission to
users who are non-administrators to access the private key of the certificate. Otherwise, non-administrators cannot use
the certificate in the computer account to establish SSL VPN connections. This restriction does not apply to any user with
administrator level permission.
If the certificate is in the user account, FortiClient can access the certificate, if the user has already successfully logged
in, and the same user imported the certificate. In all other scenarios, FortiClient may be unable to access the certificate.
The following table summarizes when FortiClient can (yes) and cannot (no) locate the certificate for users who are
logged into the endpoint and connecting VPN tunnels:

Account Connect VPN using FortiClient GUI or FortiTray

Logged in user with admin Logged in user with non-admin

privilege privilege

User account Yes, certificate found, if the same Yes, certificate found, if the same user
administrator user imported the imported the certificate
certificate

Computer account Yes, certificate found IPsec VPN: Yes, certificate found, if
access permission granted to private
key
SSL VPN: Yes, certificate found, if
access permission granted to private
key

SmartCard Yes, certificate found, if same user that Yes, certificate found, if same user that
was logged on at the time card was was logged on at the time card was
inserted inserted

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 63

Fortinet Inc.
Remote Access

When a user imports a certificate into the user account, a different logged on user cannot
access the same certificate.

A certificate on a smart card is imported into the user account of the logged on user. As a
result, the same conditions apply as with the user account.

FortiClient (Linux) does not support smart card.

The following table summarizes when FortiClient can (yes) and cannot (no) locate the certificate before a user logs into
the endpoint:

Account Unknown user before logging into Windows

User account No certificate found

Computer account Yes certificate found

SmartCard No certificate found

SAML support for SSL VPN

FortiClient supports SAML authentication for SSL VPN. FortiClient can use a SAML identity provider (IdP) to
authenticate an SSL VPN connection. You can configure a FortiGate as a service provider (SP) and a FortiAuthenticator
or FortiGate as an IdP. The end user uses FortiClient with the SAML single sign on (SSO) option to establish an SSL
VPN tunnel to the FortiGate.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 64

Fortinet Inc.
Remote Access

This process is as follows:

1. The EMS administrator or end user configures an SSL VPN connection with SAML SSO enabled.
2. FortiClient connects to the FortiGate.
3. The FortiGate returns a redirect link to the SAML IdP authorization page.
4. FortiClient displays the IdP authorization page in an embedded browser window.
5. The end user enters their credentials in the window to log in.
6. Once the login attempt succeeds, FortiClient establishes a tunnel to the FortiGate.
This example configures a FortiGate as the SP and FortiAuthenticator as the IdP.

To configure the FortiGate as the SP:

1. Configure the FortiGate SP to be a SAML user. You must configure the IdP remote certificate from
FortiAuthenticator on the FortiGate:
config user saml
edit "saml-user"
set cert "Fortinet_Factory"
set entity-id "http://172.17.61.59:11443/remote/saml/metadata/"
set single-sign-on-url "https://172.17.61.59:11443/remote/saml/login/"
set single-logout-url "https://172.17.61.59:11443/remote/saml/logout/"
set idp-entity-id "http://172.17.61.118:443/saml-idp/101087/metadata/"
set idp-single-sign-on-url "https://172.17.61.118:443/saml-idp/101087/login/"
set idp-single-logout-url "https://172.17.61.118:443/saml-idp/101087/logout/"
set idp-cert "REMOTE_Cert_4"
next
end
2. Add the SAML user to the user group:
config user group
edit "saml_grp"
set member "saml-user"
next
end
3. Set the SAML group in SSL VPN settings:
config vpn ssl settings

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 65

Fortinet Inc.
Remote Access

config authentication-rule
edit 1
set groups "saml-group"
set portal "full-access"
next
next
end

To configure FortiAuthenticator as the IdP:

1. In FortiAuthenticator, go to Authentication > SAML IdP > Service Providers.

2. Click Create New.
3. Configure as desired, then click OK.

4. To add a local user, go to Authentication > User Management > Local User, then click Create New. Configure the
local user as desired.
5. To import RADIUS users, go to Authentication > User Management > Remote User > RADIUS Users. Import the
desired RADIUS server.
6. To import LDAP users, go to Authentication > User Management > Remote User > LDAP Users. Import the desired
LDAP server.

To configure SAML SSO authentication for FortiClient:

l To configure SAML SSO authentication for a corporate VPN tunnel in EMS, go to Endpoint Profiles and select the
desired profile. On the XML Configuration tab, configure <sso_enabled>1</sso_enabled> for the desired
tunnel. EMS 6.4.0 does not support GUI implementation for this feature.
l To configure SAML SSO authentication for a personal VPN tunnel in FortiClient, on the Remote Access tab, edit or
create a new VPN tunnel. Select the Enable Single Sign On (SSO) for VPN Tunnel checkbox.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 66

Fortinet Inc.
Remote Access

To connect to a VPN tunnel using SAML authentication:

1. In FortiClient, on the Remote Access tab, from the VPN Name dropdown list, select the desired VPN tunnel.
2. Click SAML Login.
3. FortiClient displays an IdP authorization page in an embedded browser window. Enter your login credentials. Click
Login. Once authenticated, FortiClient establishes the SSL VPN tunnel.

FortiClient provides an option to the end user to save their VPN login password with or without SAML configured. When
using SAML, this feature relies on persistent sessions being configured in the IdP, discussed as follows:
l Azure
l Okta
If the IdP does not support persistent sessions, FortiClient cannot save the SAML password. The end user must provide
the password to the IdP for each VPN connection attempt.
The FortiClient save password feature is commonly used along with autoconnect and always-up features as well.

Advanced features (Windows)

When deploying a custom FortiClient XML configuration, use the advanced FortiClient profile
options in EMS to ensure the FortiClient profile settings do not overwrite your custom XML
settings. See the FortiClient XML Reference Guide.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 67

Fortinet Inc.
 Remote Access

Activating VPN before Windows logon

When using VPN before Windows logon, the user is offered a list of preconfigured VPN connections to select from on the
Windows logon screen. This requires that the Windows logon screen is not bypassed. As such, if VPN before Windows
logon is enabled, it is required to also select the Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer
checkbox in the User Accounts dialog.

To activate VPN before Windows logon:

1. In FortiClient, create the VPN tunnels of interest or receive the VPN list of interest from FortiClient EMS.
2. Ensure that VPN is enabled before logon to the FortiClient Settings page.
3. On the Windows system, start an elevated command line prompt.
4. Enter control passwords2 and press Enter. Alternatively, you can enter netplwiz.
5. Check the checkbox for Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer.
6. Click OK to save the setting.
VPN before logon is unrelated to auto-connect or always-up and is a one-time connection made so the domain controller
can be reached prior to login. This is often leveraged in conjunction with a user password reset. For the remote device to
sync the new password, it must contact the domain controller which is often unreachable outside of a VPN connection.
VPN before logon authentication supports:
l Smart cards
l Machine certificates without usernames
l Username and password
l Two-factor authentication
l LDAP
l RADIUS

Connecting VPNs before logging on (AD environments)

The VPN <options> tag holds global information controlling VPN states. The VPN connects first, then logs on to
AD/domain.
<forticlient_configuration>
<vpn>
<ipsecvpn>
<options>
<show_vpn_before_logon>1</show_vpn_before_logon>
<use_windows_credentials>1</use_windows_credentials>
</options>
<connections>
<connection>
<name>psk_90_1</name>
<type>manual</type>
<ike_settings>
<prompt_certificate>0</prompt_certificate>
<server>10.10.90.1;ipsecdemo.fortinet.com;172.17.61.143</server>
<redundantsortmethod>1</redundantsortmethod>
<auth_data>
<certificate>
<common_name>

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 68

Fortinet Inc.
 Remote Access

<match_type>
<![CDATA[wildcard]]>
</match_type>
<pattern>
<![CDATA[*]]>
</pattern>
</common_name>
<issuer>
<match_type>
<![CDATA[simple]]>
</match_type>
<pattern>
<![CDATA[Certificate Authority]]>
</pattern>
</issuer>
</certificate>
</auth_data>
...
</ike_settings>
</connection>
</connections>
</ipsecvpn>
</vpn>
</forticlient_configuration>

This is a balanced but incomplete XML configuration fragment. It includes all closing tags but omits some important
elements to complete the IPsec VPN configuration.

RedundantSortMethod = 1

This XML tag sets the IPsec VPN connection as ping-response-based. The VPN connects to the FortiGate which
responds the fastest.

RedundantSortMethod = 0

By default, RedundantSortMethod =0 and the IPsec VPN connection is priority-based. Priority-based configurations try
to connect to the FortiGate starting with the first in the list.

Creating redundant IPsec VPNs

To use IPsec VPN resiliency/redundancy, configure a list of VPN gateways within the <server> tag, separating entries
with semicolons, then specify a sort method with the <redundantsortmethod> tag:
<forticlient_configuration>
<vpn>
<ipsecvpn>
<options>
...
</options>
<connections>
<connection>
<name>psk_90_1</name>
<type>manual</type>

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 69

Fortinet Inc.
 Remote Access

<ike_settings>
<prompt_certificate>0</prompt_certificate>
<server>10.10.90.1;ipsecdemo.fortinet.com;172.17.61.143</server>
<redundantsortmethod>1</redundantsortmethod>
...
</ike_settings>
</connection>
</connections>
</ipsecvpn>
</vpn>
</forticlient_configuration>

This is a balanced but incomplete XML configuration fragment. The fragment includes all closing tags, but omits some
important elements to complete the VPN configuration. For a list of all available elements, see the FortiClient XML
Reference Guide.

RedundantSortMethod = 1

This XML tag sets the IPsec VPN connection as ping-response-based. The VPN connects to the FortiGate which
responds the fastest.

RedundantSortMethod = 0

By default, RedundantSortMethod =0 and the IPsec VPN connection is priority-based. Priority-based configurations try
to connect to the FortiGate starting with the first in the list.

Creating priority-based SSL VPN connections

SSL VPN only supports priority-based configurations for resiliency/redundancy. To use SSL VPN resiliency/redundancy,
configure a list of VPN gateways within the <server> tag, separating entries with semicolons:
<forticlient_configuration>
<vpn>
<sslvpn>
<options>
<enabled>1</enabled>
...
</options>
<connections>
<connection>
<name>ssl_90_1</name>
<server>10.10.90.1;ssldemo.fortinet.com;172.17.61.143:443</server>
...
</connection>
</connections>
</sslvpn>
</vpn>
</forticlient_configuration>

This is a balanced but incomplete XML configuration fragment. The fragment includes all closing tags, but omits some
important elements to complete the VPN configuration. For a list of all available elements, see the FortiClient XML
Reference Guide.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 70

Fortinet Inc.
 Remote Access

For SSL VPN, all FortiGates must use the same TCP port.

Advanced features (macOS)

When deploying a custom FortiClient XML configuration, use the advanced FortiClient profile
options in EMS to ensure the FortiClient profile settings do not overwrite your custom XML
settings. See the FortiClient XML Reference Guide.

Creating redundant IPsec VPNs

To use VPN resiliency/redundancy, configure a list of FortiGate or EMS IP/FQDN servers, instead of just one:
<forticlient_configuration>
<vpn>
<ipsecvpn>
<options>
...
</options>
<connections>
<connection>
<name>psk_90_1</name>
<type>manual</type>
<ike_settings>
<prompt_certificate>0</prompt_certificate>
<server>10.10.90.1;ipsecdemo.fortinet.com;172.17.61.143</server>
<redundantsortmethod>1</redundantsortmethod>
...
</ike_settings>
</connection>
</connections>
</ipsecvpn>
</vpn>
</forticlient_configuration>

This is a balanced but incomplete XML configuration fragment. It includes all closing tags, but omits some important
elements to complete the IPsec VPN configuration.

RedundantSortMethod = 1

This XML tag sets the IPsec VPN connection as ping-response-based. The VPN connects to the FortiGate or EMS
which responds the fastest.

RedundantSortMethod = 0

By default, RedundantSortMethod =0 and the IPsec VPN connection is priority-based. Priority-based configurations tries
to connect to the FortiGate or EMS starting with the first in the list.
</connection>
</connections>
</sslvpn>

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 71

Fortinet Inc.
 Remote Access

</vpn>
</forticlient_configuration>

This is a balanced but incomplete XML configuration fragment. It includes all closing tags, but omits some important
elements to complete the SSL VPN configuration.
For SSL VPN, all FortiGate or EMS units must use the same TCP port.

Creating priority-based SSL VPN connections

SSL VPN supports priority-based configurations for redundancy.

<forticlient_configuration>
<vpn>
<sslvpn>
<options>
<enabled>1</enabled>
...
</options>
<connections>
<connection>
<name>ssl_90_1</name>
<server>10.10.90.1;ssldemo.fortinet.com;172.17.61.143:443</server>
...
</connection>
</connections>
</sslvpn>
</vpn>
</forticlient_configuration>

This is a balanced but incomplete XML configuration fragment. It includes all closing tags, but omits some important
elements to complete the SSL VPN configuration.
For SSL VPN, all FortiGate or EMS must use the same TCP port.

VPN tunnel and script

This feature supports autorunning a user-defined script after connecting or disconnecting the configured VPN tunnel.
The scripts are batch scripts in Windows and shell scripts in macOS. They are defined as part of a VPN tunnel
configuration on EMS's XML format FortiClient profile. The profile is pushed down to FortiClient from EMS as part of an
endpoint policy. When FortiClient's VPN tunnel is connected or disconnected, the respective script defined under that
tunnel is executed.

Windows

Mapping a network drive after tunnel connection

The script maps a network drive and copies some files after the tunnel connects.
<on_connect>
<script>

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 72

Fortinet Inc.
Remote Access

<os>windows</os>
<script>
<script>
<![CDATA[ net use x: \\192.168.10.3\ftpshare /user:CMoltisanti md c:\test copy
x:\PDF\*.* c:\test ]]>
</script>
</script>
</script>
</on_connect>

Always use #username#/#password# inline with the batch command, as follows:

net use \\myserver\fileshare /user:#username# #password#

Do not assign #username#/#password# to variables, like the following:

SET user=#username#
SET pwd=#password#
net use \\myserver\fileshare /user:%user% %pwd%

Deleting a network drive after tunnel disconnection

The script deletes the network drive after the tunnel disconnects.
<on_disconnect>
<script>
<os>windows</os>
<script>
<script>
<![CDATA[ net use x: /DELETE ]]>
</script>
</script>
</script>
</on_disconnect>

macOS

Mapping a network drive after tunnel connection

The script maps a network drive and copies some files after the tunnel connects.
<on_connect>
<script>
<os>mac</os>
<script>
/bin/mkdir /Volumes/installers
/sbin/ping -c 4 192.168.1.147 > /Users/admin/Desktop/dropbox/p.txt
/sbin/mount -t smbfs //kimberly:RigUpTown@ssldemo.fortinet.com/installers
/Volumes/installers/ > /Users/admin/Desktop/dropbox/m.txt
/bin/mkdir /Users/admin/Desktop/dropbox/dir
/bin/cp /Volumes/installers/*.log /Users/admin/Desktop/dropbox/dir/.
</script>
</script>
</on_connect>

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 73

Fortinet Inc.
Remote Access

Deleting a network drive after tunnel disconnection

The script deletes the network drive after the tunnel disconnects.
<on_disconnect>
<script>
<os>mac</os>
<script>
/sbin/umount /Volumes/installers
/bin/rm -fr /Users/admin/Desktop/dropbox/*
</script>
</script>
</on_disconnect>

Internal resource lookup with IPv6 enabled on NIC interface

Lookup by name to internal resources may fail when IPv6 is enabled on the NIC interface. To resolve this issue, you can
do one of the following.

To disable ParallelAandAAA capability:

1. In Registry Editor, go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Dnscache\Parameters.

2. Set "DisableParallelAandAAAA "=dword:00000001.

To enable SMHNR:

Use this method only for an SSL VPN full tunnel. This method is not supported if using split tunnel.
1. In Local Group Policy Editor, go to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Network > DNS Client >
Turn off smart multi-homed name resolution.
2. Click policy setting.
3. Set to Disabled, then click OK.
4. In Registry Editor, go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\DNSClient.
5. Set "DisableSmartNameResolution"=dword:00000000

Standalone VPN client

Windows and macOS

There is a VPN-only installer for Windows and macOS. You can also create a VPN-only installer using FortiClient EMS.
For FortiGate administrators, a free version of FortiClient VPN is available which supports basic IPsec and SSL VPN and
does not require registration with EMS. This version does not include central management, technical support, or some
advanced features. The free VPN-only client does support SAML.
Full-featured FortiClient 7.4.1 requires registration to EMS. Each endpoint registered with EMS requires a license seat
on EMS.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 74

Fortinet Inc.
Remote Access

The FortiClient VPN installer differs from the installer for full-featured FortiClient. You can only download the free VPN
client from FNDN or FortiClient.com.
The free VPN client supports the single sign on mobility agent.
When the free VPN client is run for the first time, it displays a disclaimer. You cannot configure or create a
VPN connection until you accept the disclaimer:

Only the VPN feature is available. You can access the Settings, About, and Notifications pages from a toolbar.

Configuring settings for a new VPN connection on the free VPN client resembles doing the same on a full FortiClient
installation:

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 75

Fortinet Inc.
 Remote Access

You can establish a VPN connection from the homepage:

Linux

An SSL VPN tunnel client standalone installer for Linux operating systems is available from FNDN. See the FortiOS
Release Notes.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 76

Fortinet Inc.
ZTNA Destination

You can use FortiClient to create a secure encrypted connection to protected applications without using VPN. Acting as
a local proxy gateway, FortiClient works with the FortiGate application proxy feature to create a secure connection via
HTTPS using a certificate received from EMS that includes the FortiClient UID. The FortiGate retrieves the UID to
identify the device and check other endpoint information that EMS provides to the FortiGate, which can include other
identity and posture information. The FortiGate allows or denies the access as applicable. See Zero Trust Network
Access (ZTNA) for FortiOS configuration requirements. For TCP forwarding to non-web-based applications, you must
define ZTNA connection rules in FortiClient as follows.
For Linux devices, ZTNA certificate provisioning requires Trusted Platform Module 2.0.
It is recommended for FortiClient to receive ZTNA destinations from EMS as configured by the EMS administrator. See
the FortiClient EMS Administration Guide.
You cannot use ZTNA destinations and TCP forwarding on a Windows 7 endpoint.

To add a ZTNA destination:

1. On the ZTNA Destination tab, click Add Destination.

2. In the Destination Name field, enter the desired name.
3. In the Destination Host field, enter the IP address/FQDN and port of the destination host in the format <IP address
or FQDN>:<port>. This field does not support entering a hostname. For example, you could enter
demo.fortinet.com:22 as the destination host value.
4. In the Proxy Gateway field, enter the FortiGate access IP address and port in the same format. For example, you
could enter 21.14.22.11:80 as the proxy gateway value.
5. From the Mode dropdown list, select Transparent.
6. Enable or disable Encryption. By default, Encryption is disabled. When Encryption is enabled, traffic between
FortiClient and the FortiGate is always encrypted, even if the original traffic has already been encrypted. When
Encryption is disabled, traffic between FortiClient and the FortiGate is not encrypted.
7. If desired, enable Use external browser as user-agent for saml user authentication. FortiClient can use a browser as
an external user-agent to perform SAML authentication.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 77

Fortinet Inc.
ZTNA Destination

8. Click Create.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 78

Fortinet Inc.
Malware Protection

The Malware Protection tab includes the following features:

The Malware Protection tab displays in FortiClient when FortiClient is installed with Additional
Security Features selected.

Antivirus

FortiClient includes an antivirus (AV) component to scan system files, executable files, removable media, dynamic-link
library (DLL) files, and drivers. FortiClient also scans for and removes rootkits. In FortiClient, file-based malware,
malicious websites, phishing, and spam URL protection are part of the AV component. FortiClient's AV component
supports twelve levels of nested compressed files for scanning. For compressed files, FortiClient supports a maximum
file size of 1 GB for antivirus scanning. For a compressed file with a size larger than 1 GB, FortiClient will scan it after
decompression.

Updating the AV database

FortiClient informs you if the AV database is out of date. FortiClient automatically updates signatures. However, if you
see the signatures are outdated, you can go to About to download updates from FortiGuard. See Viewing FortiClient
engine and signature versions on page 82.

Scanning with AV on-demand

You can perform on-demand AV scanning. You can scan specific files or folders, and you can submit a file for analysis.

Scanning now

1. On the Malware Protection tab, go to AntiVirus Protection.

2. Beside the Scan Now button, use the dropdown list to select Quick Scan, Full Scan, Custom Scan, or Removable
media Scan.

Quick Scan Runs the rootkit detection engine to detect and remove rootkits. It looks for
threats by scanning executable files, DLLs, and drivers that are currently
running.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 79

Fortinet Inc.
 Malware Protection

Full Scan Runs the rootkit detection engine to detect and remove rootkits. It then looks
for threats by performing a full system scan on all files, executable files, DLLs,
and drivers.

Custom Scan Runs the rootkit detection engine to detect and remove rootkits. It allows you
to select a specific file folder on your local hard disk drive (HDD) to scan for
threats.

Removable Media Scan Runs the rootkit detection engine to detect and remove rootkits. It scans all
connected removable media, such as USB drives.

Scanning files or folders

Right-click the file or folder and select Scan with FortiClient AntiVirus from the menu.

Submitting files to FortiGuard for analysis

You can send up to five files a day to FortiGuard for analysis.

You do not receive feedback for files submitted for analysis. The FortiGuard team can create
signatures for any files that are submitted for analysis and determined to be malicious.

1. On your workstation, right-click a file or executable, and select Submit for analysis from the menu. A dialog displays
that identifies the number of files submitted.
2. Confirm the location of the file that you want to submit, and click the Submit button.

Viewing AntiVirus scan results

You can view quarantined threats, site violations, alerts, and RTP events.
For details on viewing quarantined threats, see Viewing quarantined files on page 86.

Viewing site violations

On the Site Violations page, you can view site violations and submit sites to be recategorized.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 80

Fortinet Inc.
Malware Protection

1. On the Malware Protection tab, click X Threats Detected.

Site Violations displays the following options:

URL Website URL.

CATEGORY Web filter category the site belongs to.

TIME Date and time of the site violation.

USER User who attempted to access the site.

2. Click Close.

Viewing alerts

When FortiClient AV detects a virus while attempting to download a file via a web browser, a warning displays.
Select View recently detected virus(es) to collapse the virus list. Right-click a file in the list to access the following context
menu. If EMS is managing FortiClient, these options are disabled:

Delete Delete a quarantined or restored file.

Quarantine Quarantine a restored file.

Restore Restore a quarantined file.

Submit Suspicious File Submit a file to FortiGuard as a suspicious file.

Submit as False Positive Submit a quarantined file to FortiGuard as a false positive.

Add to Exclusion List Add a restored file to the exclusion list. FortiClient does not scan any files in the
exclusion list.

Open File Location Open the file location on your workstation.

Depending on the settings received from EMS, virus alert dialog may or may not display when
you attempt to download a virus in a web browser.

Viewing RTP events

When an AV RTP event has occurred, you can view these events in FortiClient.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 81

Fortinet Inc.
 Malware Protection

1. From the Malware Protection tab, select Threats Detected.

2. Select Real-time Protection events (x).
The realtime_scan.log opens in the default viewer.
Example log output:
Realtime scan result:
time: Wed Jan 9 09:52:18 2019, Realtime Protection Started, AV_ENGINE:6.00012 MDARE_
ENGINE:2.00068 AV_SIG:1.00000 AV_EXT_SIG:1.00000 MDARE_SIG:1.00000
time: Wed Jan 9 09:52:42 2019, virus found: EICAR_TEST_FILE, action: Quarantined,
C:\Users\Administrator\Downloads\5adfd0ce-278a-4697-8a97-624b307df63c.tmp

Viewing FortiClient engine and signature versions

You can view the current FortiClient version, engine, and signature information.

When EMS manages FortiClient, you can use a FortiManager for FortiClient software and
signature updates. When configuring the profile using EMS, select Use FortiManager for
Client Signature Update to enable the feature, and enter your FortiManager IP address. You
can failover to FDN when FortiManager is unavailable.

To view FortiClient engine and signature versions:

1. Go to About.

2. Hover the mouse over the Status field to see the date and time FortiClient last updated the selected item.
3. Click Close.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 82

Fortinet Inc.
Malware Protection

Cloud Based Malware Protection

The cloud-based malware protection feature helps protect endpoints from high risk file types from external sources such
as the Internet or network drives by querying FortiGuard to determine whether files are malicious. The following
describes the process for cloud-based malware protection:
1. A high risk file is downloaded or executed on the endpoint.
2. FortiClient generates a SHA1 checksum for the file.
3. FortiClient sends the checksum to FortiGuard (FQDN with port 8888) to determine if it is malicious against the
FortiGuard checksum library.
4. If the checksum is found in the library, FortiGuard communicates to FortiClient that the file is deemed malware. By
default, FortiClient quarantines the file.

This feature only submits high risk file types such as .exe, .doc, .pdf, and .dll to FortiGuard.
The list of high risk file types is the same as the list of file types submitted to Sandbox by
default. See the FortiClient EMS Administration Guide for details.

For details on seeing quarantined files, see Viewing quarantined files on page 86.

AntiExploit

The antiexploit detection feature helps protect vulnerable endpoints from unknown exploit attacks. FortiClient monitors
the behavior of popular applications, such as web browsers (Internet Explorer, Chrome, Firefox) and Microsoft Office
applications, against exploits that use zero-day or unpatched vulnerabilities to infect the endpoint. Once detected, the
compromised application process is terminated. The antiexploit detection feature also helps protect against memory-
based attacks and drive-by download attacks. It also detects and blocks unknown and known exploit kits. It is a
signature-less solution. The anti-exploit detection feature protects applications from any activities that can be harmful,
regardless if legitimate applications or malicious code are causing them.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 83

Fortinet Inc.
 Malware Protection

Due to a feature enhancement, antiexploit detection now supports the following applications:
l Microsoft applications:
l Word
l Excel
l PowerPoint
l Equation Editor
l Outlook
l Browsers:
l Chrome

l Firefox

l Internet Explorer

l Microsoft Edge

The antiexploit detection feature is available only for FortiClient (Windows).

Viewing detected exploit attempts

You can view the exploit attempts FortiClient has blocked. See .
1. On the Malware Protection tab, click Blocked exploit attempts.
In this page you can view the date and description of a blocked exploit attempt.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 84

Fortinet Inc.
 Malware Protection

This page displays the following information:

Date Date of the detected exploit attempt.

Program Program that attempted the detected exploit attempt.

Reason Reason the detected exploit attempt was blocked.

Action Action FortiClient took in response to the detected exploit attempt.

2. Click Close.

Evaluating the anti-exploit detection feature

The anti-exploit detection feature blocks malicious content from exploiting vulnerabilities in applications. To test or verify
this feature, you can use the Metasploit Framework module. This module requires Windows 7 x86, Firefox, and Adobe
Flash Player.
Consider running the exploit with and without enabling the anti-exploit detection feature in FortiClient. FortiClient blocks
such an exploit and displays a bubble message in FortiTray to notify the endpoint user.
In newer product versions, vendors resolve most publicly announced exploits. The FortiClient Vulnerability Scan feature
can identify, report, and apply patches for supported applications. See Vulnerability Scan on page 95.

Removable media access

FortiClient controls access to removable media devices, such as USB drives. FortiClient can allow, block, or monitor
access to removable media devices, as configured by the EMS administrator.

Antiransomware

Antiransomware protects specific files, folders, or file types from unauthorized changes. After detecting ransomware
behavior on the endpoint, FortiClient restores files that the detected ransomware encrypted. FortiClient automatically
updates antiransomware signatures and engines as available from FortiGuard Distribution Servers. See Anti-
Ransomware.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 85

Fortinet Inc.
 Malware Protection

Quarantined files

Various features on the Malware Protection tab can quarantine files that pose a threat to the endpoint. This section
describes viewing the quarantined files and the actions you can take with the quarantined files:
l Viewing quarantined files on page 86
l Submitting quarantined files for scanning on page 87

Viewing quarantined files

To view quarantined files:

1. On the Malware Protection tab, click Threats Detected. This option is available under AntiVirus Protection and
Cloud Based Malware Protection. You can also click Zero-Day on the Sandbox Detection tab.
You can view the original file location, virus name, and logs, and submit the suspicious file to FortiGuard. You
cannot restore or delete the quarantined file.
FortiClient organizes quarantined files into the following sections:
Quarantined Files: files that AntiVirus Protection has quarantined
l

Cloud Protection Quarantined Files: files that Cloud Based Malware Protection has quarantined
l

l Sandbox Quarantined Files: files that Sandbox Detection has quarantined

2. The following information displays:

Filename Names of the quarantined files.

Date Quarantined Dates and time the files were quarantined.

3. Select a file from the list to view detailed information about the file and click Details.

Submit Click submit for FortiGuard analysis.

Filename Name of the quarantined file.

Original Location Location of the file before scanning.

Date Quarantined Date and time the file was quarantined.

Submitted Displays Not Submitted when the selected file has not been submitted to
FortiGuard for analysis by clicking the Submit button. Displays Submitted after
clicking the Submit button.

Status Status of the file, such as Quarantined.

Virus Name Name of the detected virus.

Quarantined File Name Name of the file after it was quarantined.

Log File Location Location of the log file for the scan.

Quarantined By FortiClient feature that quarantined the file.

Close Click to close the details dialog.

4. Click Close.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 86

Fortinet Inc.
 Malware Protection

FortiClient sends quarantined file information to EMS. If the EMS administrator whitelists the
file (in the case of a false positive), EMS sends the whitelist information to FortiClient. After
FortiClient receives the whitelist information, it releases the file from quarantine. See the
FortiClient EMS Administration Guide for details.

Submitting quarantined files for scanning

To submit quarantined files to FortiSandbox for scanning:

1. On the Malware Protection tab, click Threats Detected. This option is available under AntiVirus Protection and
Cloud Based Malware Protection. You can also click Zero-Day on the Sandbox Detection tab.
2. Select the file and click Submit.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 87

Fortinet Inc.
Sandbox Detection

FortiClient supports integration with FortiSandbox, including on-premise FortiSandbox appliances and FortiClient Cloud
Sandbox (SaaS). When configured, FortiSandbox automatically scans files downloaded on the endpoint or from
removable media attached to the endpoint or mapped network drives. FortiClient also automatically scans files
downloaded with an email client on the endpoint or from the Internet. In each case, if the file is not detected locally, and
FortiSandbox integration is configured, FortiClient sends the file to the FortiSandbox for further analysis. Endpoint users
can also manually submit files to FortiSandbox for scanning.
You can block access to files until FortiClient returns the FortiSandbox scanning result.
When scanning is complete, FortiClient can quarantine/deny access to infected files or alert and notify the endpoint user
of infected files without quarantining the files. If FortiSandbox sends a verdict to FortiClient indicating that the file is
malicious, FortiClient also sends the results to EMS.
As FortiSandbox receives files for scanning from various sources, it collects and generates AV signatures for such
samples. FortiClient periodically downloads the latest AV signatures from FortiSandbox, and applies them locally to all
realtime and on-demand AV scanning.
FortiClient can send a maximum of 300 files daily to FortiClient Cloud Sandbox (SaaS). If multiple files are submitted
around the same time, FortiClient sends one file to FortiClient Cloud Sandbox (SaaS), waits until it receives the verdict
for that file, then sends the next file to FortiClient Cloud Sandbox (SaaS).
The file size limit for submission to FortiSandbox is 200 MB.

If configured by the EMS administrator, FortiClient submits files with specified extensions to
FortiSandbox. See the FortiClient EMS Administration Guide for details.

FortiSandbox integration does not require FortiClient real-time protection to be enabled. If

using a separate real-time antimalware application, FortiClient cannot send files that this
application has quarantined to FortiSandbox.

Scanning with FortiSandbox on-demand

You can send files to FortiSandbox for scanning on-demand when FortiSandbox is enabled and online.
Right-click a file and select Scan with FortiSandbox from the menu.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 88

Fortinet Inc.
Sandbox Detection

Viewing FortiSandbox scan results

Go to the Sandbox Detection tab. The following information displays:

Submitted Number of files submitted to FortiSandbox for scanning.

Zero-day Number of detected zero-day files. Click to view details about the files.

Clean Number of files determined clean after FortiSandbox scanning.

Pending Number of files waiting for FortiSandbox scanning.

The Zero-day File Details section displays the name, status, and date and time quarantined for each zero-day file. Click
a file to view the following information:

Original Location Original location of the file on the local machine.

Submission Type Whether the file was submitted to FortiGuard.

Virus Name Name of the detected virus.

Quarantined File Name Name of the quarantined file.

For details on viewing quarantined files, see Quarantined files on page 86.

Using the popup window

As FortiSandbox scans and releases files, a popup displays to inform you. You can view the recent scans by clicking the
View recent scans option.

When FortiSandbox detects a virus and quarantines a file, the Virus Alert window displays.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 89

Fortinet Inc.
Sandbox Detection

You can use the Virus Alert window to view information about the recently scanned files by clicking the View recently
detected virus(es) option.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 90

Fortinet Inc.
Web and Video Filter

Web Filter allows you to block, allow, warn, and monitor web traffic based on URL category or custom URL filters. When
a domain is detected, the URL is sent to FortiGuard for categorization. FortiClient then takes action based on the
returned category. You can create a custom URL filter exclusion list that overrides the FortiGuard category.
Since FortiClient cannot perform deep inspection and instead leverages certificate inspection for HTTPS websites,
FortiClient also cannot present a block page with a trusted connection. This is seen as a browser certificate warning. To
avoid this, there are two options:
l Leverage the web browser plugin for HTTPS web filtering. See Web browser plugin for HTTPS web filtering on page
91.
l Action On HTTPS Site Blocking. See the FortiClient EMS Administration Guide.
FortiClient inspects all web traffic, not just traffic that a web browser generates. This means you may get web filter
certificate warnings or popup messages for other applications, such as Outlook.
Video Filter helps protect you by filtering sensitive video contents from websites like YouTube. The EMS administrator
configures Video Filter settings and deploys them to FortiClient.

If FortiClient cannot contact FortiGuard, FortiClient blocks all web traffic by default. To
configure FortiClient to allow web traffic when FortiGuard is unreachable, see the FortiClient
XML Reference Guide.

Web browser plugin for HTTPS web filtering

The EMS administrator can enable a web browser plugin for HTTPS web filtering on the endpoint. This improves
detection and enforcement of Web Filter rules on HTTPS sites. After FortiClient receives the update from EMS that
enables the plugin, the browser installs the plugin extension automatically. When FortiClient telemetry disconnects or
EMS disables the plugin, the browser removes the plugin automatically after the next browser restart.

FortiClient only supports the web browser plugin for the Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and
Microsoft Edge browsers on Windows platforms.

Viewing violations

You can view web filtering violations in FortiClient.

On the Web Filter tab, click the Settings icon.
Alternately, you can click Sites Blocked (in last 7 days).

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 91

Fortinet Inc.
Web and Video Filter

The following information displays under Violations.

URL Website URL.

Category Website subcategory.

Time Date and time the website was accessed.

User Name of the user generating the traffic. Hover the cursor over the column to view the complete entry
in the popup bubble message.

Troubleshooting Web Filter

If Web Filter is not functioning as configured, this may be because FortiClient cannot contact FortiGuard. Open
Command Prompt and run ping fgd1.fortigate.com. If FortiClient can contact FortiGuard, it should output the
following:

If you have confirmed that FortiClient can contact FortiGuard but Web Filter still does not work as configured, ensure the
necessary ports are open. FortiClient requires port 8888 or 53 to be open for FortiGuard URL rating. See Required
services and ports on page 23.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 92

Fortinet Inc.
Detection & Response

FortiClient supports integration with EDR for endpoint detection and response. This feature delivers innovative endpoint
security with real-time visiblity, analysis, protection, and remediation.
If there are is any EDR activity, you can click the number beside Activity Log to view the activity details.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 93

Fortinet Inc.
Application Firewall

FortiClient can recognize the traffic generated by a large number of applications.

Viewing blocked applications

On the Application Firewall tab, click the <number> Violations (In the Last 7 Days) link.
A page of all blocked applications displays.

Viewing application firewall profiles

You can view the application firewall profile on the Application Firewall tab.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 94

Fortinet Inc.
Vulnerability Scan

FortiClient includes a vulnerability scan component to check endpoints for known vulnerabilities. The vulnerability scan
results can include:
l List of vulnerabilities detected
l How many detected vulnerabilities are rated as critical, high, medium, or low threats
l Links to more information, including links to the FortiGuard Center
l One-click link to install patches and resolve as many identified vulnerabilities as possible
l List of patches that require manual installation to resolve vulnerabilities
FortiClient can detect known vulnerabilities for many software. For the software list, see Appendix B - Vulnerability
patches on page 115.

Vulnerability scan provides EMS with a list of all software installed on the endpoint, including
vendor and version information. See the FortiClient EMS Administration Guide.

Scanning on-demand

You can scan on-demand. When the scan is complete, FortiClient displays a summary of vulnerabilities found on the
endpoint. If any detected vulnerabilities require you to manually install remediation patches, the list of affected software
also displays.

To scan on-demand:

1. On the Vulnerability Scan tab, click the Scan Now button.

FortiClient scans the endpoint for known vulnerabilities, and a summary of vulnerabilities found on the system
displays.
If any detected vulnerabilities require you to manually install remediation patches, a dialog displays that informs you
what software should be updated. If you fail to update the identified software, you may lose access to the network. If

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 95

Fortinet Inc.
 Vulnerability Scan

you lose access to the network, contact your system administrator for assistance. Following is an example of the
dialog:

2. If applicable, read the list of software that requires manual installation of software patches, and click OK. See
Manually fixing detected vulnerabilities on page 98.

Automatically fixing detected vulnerabilities

The Vulnerability Scan tab identifies vulnerabilities on the endpoint that should be fixed by installing software patches.
You can automatically install software patches by clicking the Fix Now link or review detected vulnerabilities before
installing software patches.
Any software patches that cannot be automatically installed are listed on the Vulnerability Scan tab and you should
manually download and install software patches for the vulnerable software.

You may be unable to automatically fix vulnerabilities. An administrator may have the
vulnerabilities automatically fixed for you.

On the Vulnerability Scan tab, under Vulnerabilities Detected, click Fix Now to automatically install software patches to
fix the detected vulnerabilities.

FortiClient installs the software patches. You may need to reboot the endpoint to complete installation.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 96

Fortinet Inc.
Vulnerability Scan

Reviewing detected vulnerabilities before fixing

To review detected vulnerabilities before fixing:

1. In the Vulnerability Scan tab, beside Vulnerabilities Detected, click the <number> link to review information about
vulnerabilities before installing patches.
A page of details displays.
2. Click each category with vulnerabilities to view its details. For example, click the 3rd Party App category to view
details about detected third party application vulnerabilities.

3. Expand the application to view its vulnerabilities.

4. Click the Details icon for each vulnerability to view its details and click Close to close the detailed view.

5. In each category, select the checkbox for the software for which you want to install patches.
For example, in the OS category, expand Operating System, and select the checkbox beside the vulnerabilities for
which you want to install patches.
You may be unable to choose which patches to install, depending on your FortiClient configuration. You are also
unable to select the checkbox for any software that requires manual installation of patches.
6. Click the Install Selected button to install patches.
FortiClient installs the patches. You may need to reboot the endpoint to complete installation.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 97

Fortinet Inc.
 Vulnerability Scan

Manually fixing detected vulnerabilities

In some cases, FortiClient cannot automatically install software patches, and you must manually download and install
software patches. After each scan, the Vulnerability Scan tab lists any software that requires you to manually download
and install software patches. See also Scanning on-demand on page 95.

If a software vendor has ceased to provide patches for its software, the software is tagged as
obsolete in the signatures used by the Vulnerability Scan feature, and you must uninstall the
software to fix detected vulnerabilities. The obsolete tag is visible in the details. See Viewing
details about vulnerabilities on page 98.

To manually fix detected vulnerabilities:

1. On the Vulnerability Scan tab, identify the software that requires manual fixing.
Any software with detected vulnerabilities that requires you to manually download and install software patches is
displayed in the Vulnerabilities Detected area.
2. Download the latest software patch for each software from the Internet, and install it on the endpoint.
3. After you install the software for all remaining vulnerabilities, go to the Vulnerability Scan tab, and click the Scan
Now button to instruct FortiClient to confirm the vulnerabilities are fixed.
If the manual fixes were successful, the Vulnerability Scan tab displays Vulnerabilities Detected: None after the
scan completes.

Viewing details about vulnerabilities

To view details about vulnerabilities:

1. On the Vulnerability Scan tab, any software with detected vulnerabilities that requires you to manually download
and install software patches displays in the Vulnerabilities Detected area.
2. View more details on all vulnerabilities by clicking the number of total vulnerabilities detected.
3. Expand the desired section. Vulnerabilities are divided into OS, Browser, MS Office, 3rd Party App, Service, User
Config, and Others.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 98

Fortinet Inc.
Vulnerability Scan

4. Expand the desired application. Click the Details icon beside the desired vulnerability.

If the detected vulnerability requires you to manually download and install a fix, it is communicated in the
Recommended Action section. In addition, the following information may display: The fix for the vulnerability must
be manually installed from: <link>.

5. Click Close.

Viewing vulnerability scan history

You can view the history of the last seven vulnerability scans and patches. You can view the history to see what software
was identified as vulnerable and whether patches for the vulnerabilities were installed.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 99

Fortinet Inc.
Vulnerability Scan

To view vulnerability scan history:

1. In FortiClient, click the Vulnerability Scan tab.

2. Click Scan History. The vulnerability patch history displays by date. Click each date and software name to expand it
and view details or contract it and hide details.

3. Click Close to return to the Vulnerability Scan tab.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 100

Fortinet Inc.
Notifications

Click the Notifications tab in FortiClient to view notifications.

Event notifications include:
l AV events, including scheduled scans and detected malware.
l Sandbox Detection events, including detected malware.
l Telemetry events, including configuration updates received from EMS.
l Web Filter events, including blocked website access attempts.
l System events, including signature and engine updates and software upgrades.
Click Threat Detected to view quarantined files, site violations, and RTP events.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 101

Fortinet Inc.
Settings

This section describes the options on the Settings page. There are settings that EMS locks that you cannot change.

System

You can back up the FortiClient configuration to an XML file, and restore the FortiClient configuration from an XML file.
1. Go to Settings.
2. Expand the System section, then select Backup or Restore as needed.
When performing a backup, you can select the file destination, password requirements, and add comments as
needed.

Logging

Sending logs and Windows host events to FortiAnalyzer or FortiManager

Sending logs to FortiAnalyzer or FortiManager requires the following:

l FortiClient
l EMS
l FortiAnalyzer or FortiManager
When FortiClient connects Telemetry to EMS, the endpoint can upload logs and Windows host events directly to
FortiAnalyzer or FortiManager units on port 514 TCP.
FortiClient logs and Windows host events display in the FortiClient ADOM in FortiAnalyzer.

FortiClient Telemetry must connect to EMS for FortiClient to upload logs and Windows host
event logs directly to FortiAnalyzer or FortiManager.

Exporting the log file

To export the log file:

1. Go to Settings.
2. Expand the Logging section, and click Export logs.
3. Select a location for the log file, enter a name for the log file, and click Save.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 102

Fortinet Inc.
Settings

VPN options

You cannot configure these options when FortiClient is connected to EMS. The EMS administrator can configure these
options from the EMS GUI or using XML configuration.

To configure VPN options:

1. Go to Settings and expand the VPN Options section.

2. Configure the following options:

Option Description

Enable VPN before logon Enable selecting a VPN connection before logging into the system.

Preferred DTLS Tunnel If enabled, FortiClient uses DTLS if it is enabled on the FortiGate and tunnel
establishment is successful. If not enabled on the FortiGate or tunnel
establishment does not succeed, TLS is used. DTLS tunnel uses UDP instead
of TCP and can increase throughput over VPN.
When disabled, FortiClient uses TLS, even if DTLS is enabled on FortiGate.

Do not Warn Invalid Server Select if you do not want to be warned if the server presents an invalid
Certificate certificate.

3. Click Save.

Advanced options

To configure advanced options:

1. Go to Settings, and expand the Advanced section.

2. Configure the following settings, and click OK:

Default tab Select the default tab to display when opening FortiClient.

Action for Select the action to take when FortiClient attempts to connect to EMS with an invalid
EMS invalid certificate:
certificates l Warn: warn the user about the invalid server certificate. Ask the user whether to

proceed with connecting to EMS, or terminate the connection attempt. FortiClient

remembers the user's decision for this EMS, but displays the warning prompt if
FortiClient attempts to connect to another EMS (using a different EMS FQDN/IP
address and certificate) with an invalid certificate.
l Allow: allows FortiClient to connect to EMS with an invalid certificate.

l Deny: block FortiClient from connecting to EMS with an invalid certificate.

Enable Single Enable SSO.

Sign-On mobility
agent

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 103

Fortinet Inc.
Settings

Enable Privilege Enable privilege access management (PAM). This enables FortiClient to communicate
Access with FortiPAM. In the Local Server Port field, enter the port for FortiClient to use to
Management communicate with FortiPAM. The default port for this communication is 9191. If you
change this value, ensure that you also change it in FortiPAM.

Disable proxy Disable proxy when troubleshooting FortiClient.

(troubleshooting
only)

FortiPAM agent client executable integrity check

FortiClient supports the FortiPAM integrity check feature that allows you to check wither the privilege access
management (PAM) client has been tampered with or not while launching an application.
The FortiPAM administrator defines the verification method to use. Once the secret is launched, FortiPAM sends
verification information to the fortivrs through info response. FortiClient then verifies the certificate or checksum. If
verification fails, the launch stops and an error displays. This feature supports the following verification methods:

Method Description

Executable FortiPAM supports the following hash value types for the PAM agent integrity check:
hash l MD5

l SHA1

l SHA256

You can use the Certutil tool to calculate the hash checksum value for the installed launcher
applications such as PuTTy, RDP, VNC, TightVNC, or WinSCP.
1. When secrets launch, PAM informs FortiClient that integrity check is enabled and provides it with
the hash value configured in package.
2. FortiClient compare this hash value with the launcher application hash value:
l If the hash values match, the secret launches.
lIf the hash values do not match, "The required software to launch is not installed on the
computer. Click here to download" displays.
FortiClient calculates all hash values MD5/SHA1/SHA256 for the installed application and launches
the secret if it matches any hash value.

Certificate When secrets launch, the PAM agent verifies the application integrity using its digital certificate.
FortiClient verifies if the application certificate authority (CA) certificate is available in the Windows
certificate store as a trusted root CA.
If a known public CA signed the certificate and the certificate is available on the Windows certificate
store, the secret launches.
If the private CA configured in the FortiPAM integrity check package that PuTTy signed, the PAM
agent considers it as a valid certificate and the secret launches.
If a public CA did not sign the certificate or the FortiPAM-configured certificate is unavailable in the
Windows certificate store, it is not valid and a prompt to download the application configured
on FortiPAM displays and the secret launch stops.

You can configure Package Download Option as follows:

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 104

Fortinet Inc.
Settings

Package download option Description

External Download URL Enter launcher application's external download URL link.

Internal Download URL Upload launcher application directly to the package.

If verification fails, "The required software to launch is not installed on the computer. Click here to download" displays.
Clicking "here" downloads the launcher application. You can install this application and use it for launching secrets.
The FortiPAM agent can only perform integrity checks on native secrets such as RDP, Putty, VNC, TightVNC, and
WinSCP.

To configure PAM agent integrity check using executable hash when launching PuTTY:

1. Configure FortiPAM:
a. In FortiPAM, go to Secret Settings > Integrity Check.
b. Create a client software package using PuTTy's SHA 256 executable hash.
c. In the Hash field, enter the PuTTY.exe file's hash value. Do not enter the PuTTy.msi file's hash value.
d. From the Package Download Option dropdown list, select External download URL.
e. In the External Download Url field, enter the PuTTy.exe file's external download URL. Click OK and save.

f. Configure the PuTTy launcher:

i. Go to Secret Settings > Launchers > PuTTy.
ii. Enable Client Software.
iii. From the dropdown list, select the desired client software package. Save.
g. Configure the template:
i. Go to Secret Settings > Templates > FortiGate SSH Password Template.
ii. Under Launcher, click Create.
iii. From the Launcher Name dropdown list, select PuTTY.
iv. In the Launcher Port field, enter the port number.
v. Enable Integrity Check. Click OK and save the template.
2. Install FortiClient with PAM enabled.
3. Register to EMS.
4. Go to Settings > Advanced. Ensure that PAM is enabled.
5. Log in to FortiPAM as a standard user from the endpoint.
6. Go to Secrets > Secret List.
7. Click Launch Secret to launch the PuTTy secret through the PuTTy application. The PuTTy session establishes.
8. Go to C:\Program Files\Fortinet\FortiClient\logs\trace\fortivrs_session_1_1.log to verify the integrity check-related
logs. From the example logs, you can observe that FortiClient calculates MD5, SHA1 and SHA256 checksums and
then compares them with the executable hash in the FortiPAM integrity check package:

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 105

Fortinet Inc.
Settings

[2023-08-09 09:51:47.7398329] [12376:6272] [fortivrs 2316 info] startProgram:

cmdline2-1: C:\Program Files\PuTTY\putty.exe admin@172.19.200.253 -P 22
[2023-08-09 09:51:47.7435547] [12376:6272] [fortivrs 2316 info]
PerformHashCheck: Program Path(C:\Program Files\PuTTY\putty.exe), HashMethod: 1,
Calculated HashSum: 14080A3E4E877BE235F06509B2A4B6A9
[2023-08-09 09:51:47.7465327] [12376:6272] [fortivrs 2316 info]
PerformHashCheck: Program Path(C:\Program Files\PuTTY\putty.exe), HashMethod: 2,
Calculated HashSum: 868866BD51F1AC744991C08EDA6446222A0CCDAE
[2023-08-09 09:51:47.7506061] [12376:6272] [fortivrs 2316 info]
PerformHashCheck: Program Path(C:\Program Files\PuTTY\putty.exe), HashMethod: 3,
Calculated HashSum:
35C9DF3A348AE805902A95AB8AD32A6D61EF85CA8249AE78F1077EDD2429FE6B
[2023-08-09 09:51:47.7513043] [12376:6272] [fortivrs 2316 info]
PerformIntegrityCheck: (exe-hash):: Program Path(C:\Program Files\PuTTY\putty.exe),
HashSum Matched for SHA256
[2023-08-09 09:51:47.7556323] [12376:6272] [fortivrs 2316 info] startProgram:
Program Started, pid: 9868, session: 9540
[2023-08-09 09:51:47.7569721] [12376:12572] [fortivrs 2316 info]
updateFortiVRS0: Send Client Update to FortiVRS[0], res_code(3)
[2023-08-09 09:51:47.7607448] [12376:12560] [fortivrs 2316 info]
SendUpdatetoFortiVRS0: SendUpdatetoFortiVRS0 success!.

When the integrity check fails due to a tampered PuTTY application (executable hash value mismatch between the
PuTTY.exe file and the hash in FortiPAM), "The required software to launch is not installed on the computer. Click
here to download" displays. Click here to download the PuTTY.exe application to the endpoint. Install the
application and relaunch the secret. Secret launching succeeds with the newly downloaded application.

To configure PAM agent integrity check using certificate when launching RDP signed by private CA:

1. Configure FortiPAM:
a. In FortiPAM, go to System > Certificates > Create/Import > Certificate > Import Certificate > Certificate and
upload the certificate and key files. Enter and confirm the password, then click Create and OK. The uploaded
certificate displays under Local CA Certificates.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 106

Fortinet Inc.
Settings

b. Go to Secret Settings > Integrity Check.

c. Create a client software package using the certificate.
d. From the CA Certificate dropdown list, select the uploaded certificate.
e. From the Package Download Option dropdown list, select Internal download URL.
f. In the Package field, upload the mstsc.exe file that the private CA signed. Click OK and save.
g. Configure the RDP launcher:
i. Go to Secret Settings > Launchers > Remote Desktop-Windows.
ii. Enable Client Software.
iii. From the dropdown list, select the desired client software package. Save.
h. Configure the template:
i. Go to Secret Settings > Templates > FortiGate SSH Password Template.
ii. Under Launcher, click Create.
iii. From the Launcher Name dropdown list, select Remote Desktop-Windows.
iv. In the Launcher Port field, enter the port number.
v. Enable Integrity Check. Click OK and save the template.
2. On the Windows endpoint, go to C:\Windows\System32 and replace the mstsc.exe signed by the public CA with the
mstsc.exe file signed by the private CA (myCA.pem). To replace the file, change the permissions on the mstsc.exe
file signed by public CA by going to Properties > Security > Advanced, clicking Change beside Owner, and entering
the user account that is currently logged in, and clicking OK. Click Apply and OK to save the permission. Then
replace the file with the mstsc.exe signed by private CA.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 107

Fortinet Inc.
Settings

3. Install FortiClient with PAM enabled.

4. Register to EMS.
5. Go to Settings > Advanced. Ensure that PAM is enabled.
6. Log in to FortiPAM as a standard user from the endpoint.
7. Go to Secrets > Secret List.
8. Click Launch Secret to launch the RDP secret through the RDP application. The RDP session establishes after
verifying the mstsc.exe file certificate. Since the RDP application is signed by a private CA, the application
certificate is considered valid and the secret launches.
9. Go to C:\Program Files\Fortinet\FortiClient\logs\trace\fortivrs_session_1_1.log to verify the integrity check-related
logs. From the example logs, you can observe that the RDP application (mstsc.exe) file certificate is verified and
then secret session is launched:
[2023-08-15 13:56:16.9145914 UTC-07:00] [15228:15280] [fortivrs 2434 info]
startProgram: cmdline2-1: ndirsystem32\mstsc.exe /V:172.19.200.243:3389
/noConsentPrompt
[2023-08-15 13:56:16.9150111 UTC-07:00] [15228:15280] [fortivrs 2434 info]
PerformIntegrityCheck: Secret does not exist at path: ndirsystem32\mstsc.exe
[2023-08-15 13:56:16.9154416 UTC-07:00] [15228:15280] [fortivrs 2434 info]
startProgram: cmdline3: C:\Windows\mstsc.exe /V:172.19.200.243:3389
/noConsentPrompt
[2023-08-15 13:56:16.9158138 UTC-07:00] [15228:15280] [fortivrs 2434 info]
PerformIntegrityCheck: Secret does not exist at path: C:\Windows\mstsc.exe
[2023-08-15 13:56:16.9160824 UTC-07:00] [15228:15280] [fortivrs 2434 info]
startProgram: cmdline4: C:\Windows\system32\mstsc.exe /V:172.19.200.243:3389
/noConsentPrompt

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 108

Fortinet Inc.
Settings

[2023-08-15 13:56:16.9628112 UTC-07:00] [15228:15280] [fortivrs 2434 info]

IntegrityCheck::PhpVerifyFile: WinVerifyTrust_I Status Code: 0x800b010a
[2023-08-15 13:56:16.9639246 UTC-07:00] [15228:15280] [fortivrs 2434 info]
PerformIntegrityCheck: (cert):: Program Path(C:\Windows\system32\mstsc.exe),
Certificate Verified

FortiTray

When FortiClient is running on your system, you can select the FortiTray icon in the Windows system tray to perform
various actions. The FortiTray icon is available in the system tray even when FortiClient is closed.
l Default menu options:
l Open FortiClient

l View About tab in FortiClient

l Shut down FortiClient

l Dynamic menu options, depending on configuration:

l Connect to a configured IPsec VPN or SSL VPN connection

l Display the AV scan window (if a scheduled scan is currently running)

l Display the Vulnerability scan window (if a vulnerability scan is running)

If you hover the cursor over the FortiTray icon, you receive various notifications including the FortiClient version, AV
signature version, and AV engine version.

When EMS has locked the configuration, the option to shut down FortiClient from FortiTray is
grayed out.

To establish a VPN connection from FortiTray:

1. Select the Windows System Tray.

2. Right-click the FortiTray icon, and select a VPN connection configuration.
3. Enter your username and password in the authentication window, and click OK to connect.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 109

Fortinet Inc.
Diagnostic Tool

You can access the FortiClient Diagnostic Tool from FortiClient. Go to About.

On FortiClient (Windows), you can also access the Diagnostic Tool from the Start menu.

You can use the FortiClient Diagnostic Tool to generate a debug report, then provide the debug report to the FortiClient
team to help with troubleshooting. For example, if you are working with customer support on a problem, you can
generate a debug report and email the report to customer support to help with troubleshooting.
The FortiClient Diagnostic Tool does not record sensitive information. It contains information about the endpoint such as:
l Windows operating system version
l Windows software updates
l Names and versions of installed software
l Names and versions of installed drivers
l FortiClient configuration
l FortiClient logs
Before sending the package that the FortiClient Diagnostic Tool created to the FortiClient team, you can open and read
the package.

To access the FortiClient Diagnostic Tool:

1. Go to About.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 110

Fortinet Inc.
Diagnostic Tool

2. Click the Diagnostic Tool button in the top right corner. The FortiClient Diagnostic Tool dialog displays.

3. The dialog displays the features selected by the EMS administrator. Click Run Diagnostic Tool.
4. Click Run Tool. A window displays the provided status information.

5. (Optional) When prompted, launch and disconnect the VPN tunnels for which you want to collect information. The
Diagnostic Tool creates a Diagnostic_Result file and displays it in a folder on the endpoint. The default folder
location is C:\Users <user name>\AppData\Local\Temp\.
6. Click Close.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 111

Fortinet Inc.
Forensic analysis

The FortiGuard Endpoint Forensic Analysis service provides remote endpoint analysis to help your organization respond
to and recover from cyber incidents. For each engagement, forensic analysts from Fortinet’s FortiGuard Labs remotely
assist in collecting, examining, and presenting digital evidence, including a final detailed report.
See Requesting forensic analysis.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 112

Fortinet Inc.
Appendix A - API

You can operate FortiClient VPNs using the COM-based FortiClient API. You can use the API only with IPsec VPN. The
API does not support SSL VPN.

Overview

The FortiClient COM library provides functionality to:

l Retrieve a list of VPN tunnels configured in the FortiClient application.
l Start and stop any configured VPN tunnel.
l Send XAuth credentials.
l Retrieve status information:
l Configured tunnel list

l Active tunnel name

l Connection status

l Idleness status

l Remaining key life

l Respond to FortiClient-related events:

l VPN connect

l VPN disconnect

l VPN is idle

l XAuth authentication requested

For more information, see the vpn_com_examples ZIP file located in the VPN automation file folder in the
FortiClientTools file.

API reference

The following tables provide API reference values:

Disconnect(bstrTunnelName As String) Close the named VPN tunnel.

GetRemainingKeyLife(bstrTunnelName As Retrieve the named connection remaining key life.
String, pSecs As Long, pKBytes As Whether key life time (pSecs) or data (pKBytes) are
Long)
significant depends on the detailed settings in the
FortiClient application.
SendXAuthResponse (tunnelName As String, Send XAuth credentials for the named connection:
userName As String, password As l Username, password
String, savePassword As Boolean)
l True if password should be saved

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 113

Fortinet Inc.
Appendix A - API

GetTunnelList() Retrieve the list of all connections configured in the

FortiClient application.
IsConnected (bstrTunnelName As String) As Return True if the named connection is up.
Boolean
IsIdle (bstrTunnelName As String) As Boolean Return True if the named connection is idle.

OnDisconnect(bstrTunnelName As String) Connection disconnected.

OnIdle(bstrTunnelName As String) Connection idle.
OnXAuthRequest(bstrTunnelName As String) The VPN peer on the named connection requests XAuth
authentication.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 114

Fortinet Inc.
Appendix B - Vulnerability patches

FortiClient checks many applications for vulnerabilities. FortiClient can automatically patch vulnerabilities from some
applications, but not all applications. For some applications, you must manually patch vulnerabilities.

To view vulnerability signature information:

1. In FortiClient, go to About to check the vulnerability signature version number. In the example, the version number is
1.00294.

2. Go to Endpoint Vulnerability Protection Service.

3. At the bottom of the page, click the desired vulnerability signature version. The vulnerabilities added for that

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 115

Fortinet Inc.
Appendix B - Vulnerability patches

signature version are listed.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 116

Fortinet Inc.
Appendix C - Processes

This section identifies the processes used by FortiClient (Windows) and FortiClient (macOS).
l FortiClient (Windows) processes on page 117
l FortiClient (macOS) processes on page 118

FortiClient (Windows) processes

The following table identifies the processes in Task Manager that FortiClient (Windows) uses:

Name Description Purpose

FortiClient Virus Used by antivirus (AV) and FortiClient to submit samples to

Feedback Service FortiGuard

FCVbltScan.exe FortiClient FortiClient Vulnerability Scan engine

Vulnerability Scan
Daemon

FortiAvatar.exe FortiClient User Used by FortiClient and FortiClient Telemetry to obtain avatar
Avatar Agent images for users

ipsec.exe FortiClient IPsec Remote Access for IPsec VPN

VPN Service

FortiClient.exe FortiClient FortiClient GUI

Console

FortiClient_Diagnostic_ FortiClient Diagnostic Tool

Tool.exe Diagnostic Tool

fcappdb.exe FortiClient Application Firewall

Application
Database Service

fcaptmon.exe FortiClient Sandbox Detection

Sandbox Agent

FCDBLog.exe FortiClient Logging

Logging Daemon

FCHelper64.exe FortiClient System FortiClient ensures 32-bit processes can access 64-bit
Helper resources

fmon.exe FortiClient AV
Realtime AntiVirus
Protection

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 117

Fortinet Inc.
Appendix C - Processes

Name Description Purpose

fortiae.exe FortiClient Anti- Anti-Exploit engine

Exploit

FortiESNAC.exe FortiClient FortiClient Telemetry

Network Access
Control

fortifws.exe FortiClient Firewall Application Firewall

Service

FortiProxy.exe FortiClient Proxy AV and Web Filter

Service

FortiScand.exe FortiClient Scan Offloading AV scanning to a separate process

Server

FortiSettings.exe FortiClient Used by FortiClient settings

Settings Service

FortiSSLVPNdaemon.exe FortiClient Remote Access for SSL VPN

SSLVPN daemon

FortiTray.exe FortiClient System FortiTray

Tray Controller

FortiUSBmon.exe FortiClient Removable media access control.

USB monitor
protection

FortiWF.exe FortiClient Web Used by Web Filter

Filter Service

scheduler.exe FortiClient Windows ensures FortiClient services are running when needed
Scheduler

FortiClient (macOS) processes

FortiClient (macOS) uses the following processes:

l The process for the FortiClient main GUI is located at
/Application/FortiClient.app/Contents/MacOS/FortiClient
l The process for FortiTray controller is located at
/Application/FortiClient.app/Contents/Resources/runtime.helper/FortiClient
Agent.app/MacOS/FortiClientAgent
l The process for FortiClient upgrade GUI is located at
/Application/FortiClient.app/Contents/Resources/runtime.helper/FortiClient
Update.app/Contents/MacOS/FortiClientUpdate

The following table identifies the processes in the following location used by FortiClient (macOS):
/Library/Application Support/Fortinet/FortiClient/bin:

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 118

Fortinet Inc.
Appendix C - Processes

Name Purpose

fctservctl FortiClient Service Controller

epctrl FortiClient endpoint control daemon

ftgdagent Web Filter

fmon AV scan main program

scanunit AV scan scanner

vulscan Vulnerability scan

fctappfw Firewall service

fssoavgent_launchagent FSSO agent

fssoavgent_launchdaemon FSSO daemon

fctctld VPN controller

sslvpnd SSL VPN Daemon

racoon IPsec VPN Service

racoonctl IPsec VPN Controller

fctupdate FortiClient update tool

fctupgrade FortiClient upgrade tool

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 119

Fortinet Inc.
Appendix D - CLI commands

FortiClient (Windows) CLI commands

FortiClient supports the following CLI installation options with FortiESNAC.exe for endpoint control:
Usage:
c:\Program Files\Fortinet\FortiClient\FortiESNAC.exe -r|--register <address/invitation> [-
p|--port <port>] [-v|--vdom <site>]
c:\Program Files\Fortinet\FortiClient\FortiESNAC.exe -u|--unregister
c:\Program Files\Fortinet\FortiClient\FortiESNAC.exe -d|--details

Options:
-h --help Show the help screen
-r --register Register using an EMS address or an invitation code
-p --port EMS port, ignored if registering by invitation code (Optional, 8013 by default)
-v --vdom EMS site, ignored if registering by invitation code (Optional, "Default" by
default)
-u --unregister Unregister from the current EMS
-k --key Key for registering/deregistering from EMS if required.
Will prompt for user input if key verification fails or no key is given.
-m --remember Remember the given connection key specified by -k|--key when registering to
EMS
(Optional, will not remember the key by default)
-d --details Show telemetry details and status

FortiClient (macOS) CLI commands

The following summarizes the CLI commands available for FortiClient (macOS) 7.4.1:

Endpoint control

FortiClient 7.4.1 must establish a Telemetry connection to EMS to receive license information. FortiClient features are
only enabled after connecting to EMS.

Usage

You can access endpoint control features through the epctrl CLI command. This command offers the end user the
ability to connect or disconnect from EMS and check the connection status. You can access usage information by using
the following commands:
➜ ~ /Library/Application\ Support/Fortinet/FortiClient/bin/epctrl -h
FortiClient Endpoint Control

Usage:

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 120

Fortinet Inc.
Appendix D - CLI commands

/Library/Application Support/Fortinet/FortiClient/bin/epctrl -r|--register

<address/invitation> [-p|--port <port>] [-s|--site <site>] [-k|--key <key>] [-m|--remember]
/Library/Application Support/Fortinet/FortiClient/bin/epctrl -u|--unregister [-k|--key
<key>]
/Library/Application Support/Fortinet/FortiClient/bin/epctrl -d|--details
/Library/Application Support/Fortinet/FortiClient/bin/epctrl -t|--trust accept|deny
/Library/Application Support/Fortinet/FortiClient/bin/epctrl -a|--auth

Options:
-h --help Show the help screen
-r --register Register using an EMS address or an invitation code
-p --port EMS port, ignored if registering by invitation code (Optional, 8013 by
default)
-s --site EMS site, ignored if registering by invitation code (Optional, "Default"
by default)
-u --deregister Deregister from the current EMS
-k --key Key for registering/deregistering from EMS if required. Will prompt for
user input if key verification fails or no key is given
-m --remember Remember the given connection key specified by -k|--key when registering
to EMS (Optional, will not remember the key by default)
-t --trust Trust or deny a pending invalid EMS certificate
-a --auth Initializes the authentication process if user authentication is enabled
on EMS
-d --details Show telemetry details and status

Connecting to on-premise EMS

FortiClient can connect to on-premise EMS using the following commands. If EMS is listening on the default port, 8013,
you do not need to specify the port number. If EMS is listening on another port, such as 8444, you must specify the port
number with the EMS IP address. The example illustrates both use cases.

Connecting to on-premise EMS using an invitation code (SAML configured)

➜ ~ /Library/Application\ Support/Fortinet/FortiClient/bin/epctrl -r <invitation_code>

SAML URL: {SAML_url}
Username: Connected!

Connecting to on-premise EMS using IP address and default port

➜ ~ /Library/Application\ Support/Fortinet/FortiClient/bin/epctrl -r 172.18.60.251

Registering to EMS 172.17.60.251:8013.

Connecting to on-premise EMS using IP address and non-default port

➜ ~ /Library/Application\ Support/Fortinet/FortiClient/bin/epctrl -r 172.18.60.251 -p 8444

Registering to EMS 172.17.60.251:8444.

Connecting to on-premise EMS with multitenancy enabled

If EMS multitenancy is enabled, you can also specify the site name. If connecting to the default site, you do not need to
provide a site name. The example illustrates connecting to a site named "headquarters".
➜ ~ /Library/Application\ Support/Fortinet/FortiClient/bin/epctrl -r 172.18.60.251 -s
headquarters

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 121

Fortinet Inc.
Appendix D - CLI commands

Disconnecting from EMS

➜ ~ /Library/Application\ Support/Fortinet/FortiClient/bin/epctrl -u
Deregistered

Specifying and remembering required connection key

EMS may require a connection key for FortiClient to connect.

➜ ~ /Library/Application\ Support/Fortinet/FortiClient/bin/epctrl -r 172.18.60.251 -k
<connection_key> -m
➜ ~ /Library/Application\ Support/Fortinet/FortiClient/bin/epctrl -u -k <connection_key>

Trusting or denying pending invalid EMS certificate

➜ ~ /Library/Application\ Support/Fortinet/FortiClient/bin/epctrl -t accept|deny

Initializing authentication process if EMS has enabled user authentication

➜ ~ /Library/Application\ Support/Fortinet/FortiClient/bin/epctrl -a

Showing telemetry details and status

The following example shows output when FortiClient is not connected to EMS:
➜ ~ /Library/Application\ Support/Fortinet/FortiClient/bin/epctrl -d

=====================================
FortiClient License Details
=====================================
Last EMS Access Time: Never Accessed
License Expiry: Unlicensed
VPN Expiry: Wed Feb 14 11:14:58 2024 PST

=====================================
FortiClient EMS Details
=====================================
No telemetry data available.

FortiClient (Linux) CLI commands

FortiClient (Linux) supports an installer targeted towards the headless version of Linux server. FortiClient (Linux) 7.4.1
for servers (forticlient_server_7.4.1.xxxx) offers a command line interface and is intended to be used with the CLI-only
(headless) installation. The same set of CLI commands also work with a FortiClient (Linux) GUI installation.
The following summarizes the CLI commands available for FortiClient (Linux) 7.4.1:

Endpoint control

FortiClient 7.4.1 must establish a Telemetry connection to EMS to receive license information. FortiClient features are
only enabled after connecting to EMS.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 122

Fortinet Inc.
Appendix D - CLI commands

Usage

You can access endpoint control features through the epctrl CLI command. This command offers the end user the
ability to connect or disconnect from EMS and check the connection status. You can access usage information by using
the following commands:
jameslee@sunshine:~$ forticlient epctrl -h
Endpoint Control CLI interface

Usage: forticlient epctrl [command]

Available Commands:
auth Initializes the authentication process if user authentication is enabled on EMS
detail Show detail of endpoint status
disconnect Disconnect from an EMS
register Register to a specified EMS IP, Hostname, or invitation code
trust Trust or deny a pending invalid EMS certificate

Connecting to EMS or FortiClient Cloud

FortiClient can connect to on-premise EMS or FortiClient Cloud using the following commands. If EMS is listening on the
default port, 8013, you do not need to specify the port number. If EMS is listening on another port, such as 8444, you
must specify the port number with the EMS IP address. The example illustrates both use cases:
jameslee@sunshine:~$ forticlient epctrl register 172.17.60.251
Registering to EMS 172.17.60.251:8013 at site "default".

jameslee@sunshine:~$ forticlient epctrl register 172.17.60.251 -p 8444

Registering to EMS 172.17.60.251:8444.

If EMS multitenancy is enabled, you can also specify the site name. If connecting to the default site, you do not need to
provide a site name. The example illustrates connecting to a site named "headquarters".
jameslee@sunshine:~$ forticlient epctrl register 172.17.60.251 -s headquarters

FortiClient can connect to on-premise EMS or FortiClient Cloud using an invitation code (ABCDEF123 in the example)
that you received from the administrator:
jameslee@sunshine:~$ forticlient epctrl register ABCDEF123

Endpoint control status

You can check FortiClient endpoint control status details with the detail argument. When FortiClient is connected to
EMS only, the command output is as follows:
jameslee@sunshine:~$ forticlient epctrl detail
=====================================
FortiClient License Details
=====================================
License Expiry: Mon Oct 14 11:16:32 2024 PDT
VPN Expiry: N/A (EMS Connected)

=====================================
FortiClient EMS Details
=====================================
IP: 192.168.34.30
Site: default

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 123

Fortinet Inc.
Appendix D - CLI commands

Host: ubuntu
SN: FCTEMS123456
Status: Connected
Last Access Time: Thu Jun 6 11:56:35 2024 PDT

=====================================
Zero Trust Tags
=====================================
Ubuntu2204

If FortiClient is connected to EMS and notifying FortiGate, the endpoint control status displays the serial numbers and
hostnames of the EMS and FortiGates as follows:
jameslee@sunshine:~$ forticlient epctrl detail
=====================================
FortiClient License Details
=====================================
License Expiry: Mon Oct 14 11:16:32 2024 PDT
VPN Expiry: N/A (EMS Connected)

=====================================
FortiClient EMS Details
=====================================
IP: 192.168.34.30
Site: default
Host: ubuntu
SN: FCTEMS123456
Status: Connected
Last Access Time: Thu Jun 6 11:56:35 2024 PDT

=====================================
Zero Trust Tags
=====================================
Ubuntu2204
=====================================
FortiGate Details
=====================================
IP: 172.17.60.40
Host: FGVM02TM18001119
SN: FGVM02TM18001119
Status: Connected

When FortiClient is not connected to EMS, the endpoint control status has no Telemetry data available as shown:
jameslee@sunshine:~$ forticlient epctrl detail
=====================================
FortiClient License Details
=====================================
License Expiry: Unlicensed
VPN Expiry: Fri Jul 5 14:55:13 2024 PDT

=====================================
FortiClient EMS Details
=====================================
No telemetry data available.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 124

Fortinet Inc.
Appendix D - CLI commands

=====================================
Zero Trust Tags
=====================================

Disconnecting from EMS

FortiClient can disconnect from EMS only if the configuration received from EMS allows it. You can disconnect using the
disconnect command.
jameslee@sunshine:~$ forticlient epctrl disconnect
Unregistering from EMS.

AV scanning

You may run an AV scan from the CLI on the entire file system or on a specified directory. You can only run an AV scan
as the root user. After completing an AV scan, FortiClient prints the scan results and detailed log file locations. You can
run the following command to run an AV scan, where <directory_path> is the directory path to scan. You can
perform a full scan by inputting / in place of <directory_path>.
forticlient fmon scan custom <directory_path>

The following shows an AV scan performed on the /var directory:

jameslee@sunshine:/var$ forticlient fmon scan custom /var
Signature dir : forticlient/vir_sig/
Log dir : forticlient/
Fmon on daemon mode.
Dest dir : /var
CPU number : 1
Server port : 40140
AV Engine path : forticlient/libav.so
AV Signature path : forticlient/vir_sig/vir_high:forticlient/vir_sig/vir_sandbox_sig
Load AV signature success.
<=== PID : 13821 Client Hello rc = 2185
Child : 13821 ready
===> Scan : /var/spool/anacron/cron.daily
===> Scan : /var/spool/anacron/cron.weekly
===> Scan : /var/spool/anacron/cron.monthly
===> Scan : /var/crash/_usr_bin_gedit.1001.crash
===> Scan : /var/crash/_opt_forticlient_fmon.1000.crash
===> Scan : /var/backups/apt.extended_states.1.gz
===> Scan : /var/backups/shadow.bak
===> Scan : /var/backups/dpkg.statoverride.2.gz
===> Scan : /var/backups/passwd.bak
===> Scan : /var/backups/dpkg.diversions.1.gz
===> Scan : /var/backups/apt.extended_states.0
===> Scan : /var/backups/dpkg.arch.2.gz
===> Scan : /var/backups/alternatives.tar.1.gz
===> Scan : /var/backups/dpkg.arch.0
===> Scan : /var/backups/dpkg.status.1.gz
===> Scan : /var/backups/dpkg.statoverride.0
===> Scan : /var/backups/dpkg.arch.1.gz
===> Scan : /var/backups/gshadow.bak
===> Scan : /var/backups/dpkg.diversions.2.gz
===> Scan : /var/backups/alternatives.tar.2.gz
................................
................................

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 125

Fortinet Inc.
Appendix D - CLI commands

................................
-------------- scan_dispatch_worker finished -------------
Scan started at Mon Apr 22 14:43:45 2019
Found virus : EICAR_TEST_FILE
In file : /var/eicar.com
Action : Quarantine success
Quarantine file : forticlient/quarantine/eicar.com.1
--------------- Scan summary ---------------------
Total scan files : 10947
Found virus : 1
Worker crash : 0
Worker timeout : 0
--------------------------------------------------
Scan ended at Mon Apr 22 14:44:01 2019
Full results can be found in forticlient/Daemon - Mon Apr 22 14:43:45 2019.log

You can restore a quarantined file. This releases the file from quarantine and makes it accessible to the user.
jameslee@sunshine:/home/jameslee$ sudo /opt/forticlient/fchelper -r <file>

Vulnerability scanning

You can run a vulnerability scan from the CLI to check for vulnerable applications on the machine. You can only run a
vulnerability scan as the root user. After completing a vulnerability scan, FortiClient prints the number of vulnerabilities
present on the machine, their severity levels, and detailed log file locations. You can run a vulnerability scan by running
the following command:
jameslee@sunshine:/home/jameslee$ forticlient vulscan scan
Vulnerability Scan Complete
--------------- Scan summary ---------------------
Critical : 7
High : 2
Medium : 7
Low : 0

You can patch existing vulnerabilities using FortiClient. FortiClient runs a vulnerability scan again after patching the
vulnerabilities and prints the results. You can patch vulnerabilities as shown:
jameslee@sunshine:/home/jameslee$ forticlient vulscan patch
[INFo} Distribution name is Ubuntu
[INFO] Distribution version is 18.04.1 LTS (Bionic Beaver)
[INFO] LoadVulSig
[INFO] Decryption success!
[INFO] LoadFromDb
[INFO] Total sig : 13163
[INFO] Signature version=1.38
[INFO] Engine version=2.0.0.22
[INFO] Build install list
...
Patching vid 55441
Hit:1 http://ca.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic InRelease
Get:2 http://ca.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-updates InRelease [88.7 kB]
Get:3 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-security InRelease [88.7 kB]
Get:4 http://ca.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-backports InRelease [74.6 kB]

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 126

Fortinet Inc.
Appendix D - CLI commands

Get:5 http://ca.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-updates/main amd64 DEP-11 Metadata [278 kB]

Get:6 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-security/main amd64 DEP-11 Metadata [9,364 B]
Get:7 http://ca.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-updates/main DEP-11 48x48 Icons [66.7 kB]
Get:8 http://ca.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-updates/main DEP-11 64x64 Icons [123 kB]
Get:9 http://ca.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-updates/universe amd64 DEP-11 Metadata [222
kB]
Get:10 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-security/main DEP-11 48x48 Icons [7,788 B]
Get:11 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-security/universe amd64 DEP-11 Metadata
[35.7 kB]
Get:12 http://ca.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-updates/universe DEP-11 48x48 Icons [194
kB]
Get:13 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-security/universe DEP-11 48x48 Icons [16.4
kB]
Get:14 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-security/universe DEP-11 64x64 Icons [92.2
kB]
Get:15 http://ca.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-updates/universe DEP-11 64x64 Icons [406
kB]
Get:16 http://ca.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-updates/multiverse amd64 DEP-11 Metadata
[2,468 B]
Get:17 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-security/multiverse amd64 DEP-11 Metadata
[2,464 B]
Get:18 http://ca.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-backports/universe amd64 DEP-11 Metadata
[7,352 B]
Fetched 1,716 kB in 3s (591 kB/s)
Reading package lists... Done
[INFO] install command is: apt-get -y install --only-upgrade firefox
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
Suggested packages:
fonts-lyx
The following packages will be upgraded:
firefox
1 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 315 not upgraded.
Need to get 0 B/48.1 MB of archives.
After this operation, 7,509 kB of additional disk space will be used.
(Reading database ... 162206 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack .../firefox_66.0.3+build1-0ubuntu0.18.04.1_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking firefox (66.0.3+build1-0ubuntu0.18.04.1) over (59.0.2+build1-0ubuntu1) ...
Processing triggers for mime-support (3.60ubuntu1) ...
Processing triggers for desktop-file-utils (0.23-1ubuntu3.18.04.1) ...
Setting up firefox (66.0.3+build1-0ubuntu0.18.04.1) ...
Installing new version of config file /etc/apparmor.d/usr.bin.firefox ...
Please restart all running instances of firefox, or you will experience problems.
Processing triggers for man-db (2.8.3-2) ...
Processing triggers for gnome-menus (3.13.3-11ubuntu1) ...
Processing triggers for hicolor-icon-theme (0.17-2) ...
[INFO] query command is: dpkg-query --show firefox
Package version found is 66.0.3+build1-0ubuntu0.18.04.1
Patching vid 55442
Hit:1 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-security InRelease
Hit:2 http://ca.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic InRelease
Hit:3 http://ca.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-updates InRelease
Hit:4 http://ca.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-backports InRelease
Reading package lists... Done
................................
................................

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 127

Fortinet Inc.
Appendix D - CLI commands

................................
--------------- Scan summary ---------------------
Critical : 0
High : 0
Medium : 0
Low : 0
--------------------------------------------------

FortiClient updates

You can run a FortiClient update task from the CLI once FortiClient has connected to EMS and is licensed. The update
task downloads the latest FortiClient engine and signatures. You can only run an update task as the root user. Following
are the command and its output:
root@sunshine:/home/jameslee# /opt/forticlient/update
****************Update starting***************
Sandbox test = 0
Sandbox host to test = (null)
log_level: 6
Enable custom fds server :80 failover port: 8000 failover to fdg: 1 allow sw update: 0
Updating FCTDATA: Update started forced update
[INFO] Engine version=2.0.0.22
[INFo} Distribution name is Ubuntu
[INFO] Distribution version is 18.04.1 LTS (Bionic Beaver)
[INFO] LoadVulSig [INFO] Decryption success!
[INFO] LoadFromDb [INFO] Total sig : 13163
[INFO] Signature version=1.38
Getting current FortiClient Components information
current av engine version: 6.2.126
av engine id: 06002000FVEN04100-00006.00126-9999999999
current av main sig full version: 67.1895
av main sig id: 06002000FVDB04000-00067.01895-9999999999
current av ext sig full version: 67.1892
...
...
user jameslee, type:7, session:0, pid:6913
user = jameslee
sandbox server not configured.
Updating FCTDATA: Update finished
[INFO] Engine version=2.0.0.22
[INFo} Distribution name is Ubuntu
[INFO] Distribution version is 18.04.1 LTS (Bionic Beaver)
[INFO] LoadVulSig
[INFO] Decryption success!
[INFO] LoadFromDb
[INFO] Total sig : 13163
[INFO] Signature version=1.38
Downloading done ret = 0
root@sunshine:/home/jameslee#

Existing signature details

You can check details of the existing FortiClient engine and signatures by running the version command:
jameslee@sunshine:/home/jameslee$ forticlient version

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 128

Fortinet Inc.
Appendix D - CLI commands

FortiClient Version: 7.4.1.XXXX

FortiClient Serial: FCT123456
FortiClient UID: 3FF8BE62539...

=====================================
Engines
=====================================
AntiVirus: 7.00026
Vulnerability: 2.00032

=====================================
Signatures
=====================================
AntiVirus: 1.00000
AntiVirus Extended: Unavailable
Vulnerability: 2.00425
Sandbox: Unavailable
ICDB: 1.00026

Update help

The update help option lists all options available for the update task. You can access this option as shown:
jameslee@sunshine:~$ /opt/forticlient/update -h
FortiClient Update

Usage:
/opt/forticlient/update [options...]

Options:
-h Show the help screen
-v Enable verbose log

VPN

You can access VPN features through the vpnCLI command. This command offers the end user the ability to connect to
or disconnect from VPN and perform other VPN tasks.
VPN CLI interface

Usage:
forticlient vpn [command]

Available Commands:
connect Connect to a VPN
disconnect Disconnect from VPN
edit Configure new/existing VPN profile
list List VPN profiles
remove Remove VPN profile
status Print current VPN status
view View VPN profile

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 129

Fortinet Inc.
Appendix D - CLI commands

Option Description
connect <vpn_name> Connect to a configured VPN tunnel. Use the --user=<username>, --
password, --save-password, --always-up, and auto-connect options
to provide the username and password, save the password, or configure the
tunnel to always be up or autoconnect.
disconnect Disconnect from VPN.
edit <vpn_name> Create or edit a VPN tunnel configuration.
list List existing VPN tunnel configurations.
remove <myvpn_name> Remove the VPN tunnel configuration.
status Show VPN status.
view <vpn_name> View a VPN tunnel configuration's details.

Connecting to VPN using the Linux CLI may not function correctly on Ubuntu if gnome-keyring is not configured. See
the Ubuntu Manpage.

To configure gnome-keyring:

1. Install gnome-keyring:
sudo apt install gnome-keyring
2. Initialize and unlock the login keyring:
killall gnome-keyring-daemon
echo -n “your-login-password" | gnome-keyring-daemon --unlock

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 130

Fortinet Inc.
Appendix E - VPN autoconnect

With autoconnect enabled, when FortiClient launches, it automatically connects to a predefined VPN tunnel. As this
happens automatically, you can only specify one tunnel to autoconnect to. You can leverage autoconnect to minimize
security complexity when working from home. End users no longer need the extra step of providing credentials and
connecting to VPN. FortiClient only attempts this connection once. If it fails due to the server being unreachable or
incorrect credentials, FortiClient does not reattempt to connect until the next time the user logs in.
This guide details the settings required to add autoconnect functionality to an existing VPN connection, including the
user definition and policies. If you are setting up a new VPN, see Remote access and SSL VPN full tunnel for remote
user.
Autoconnect requires some stored credentials for authentication. These credentials can be:
l Username and password. See Configuring autoconnect with username and password authentication on page 131.
l Certificate (user, machine, or smartcard). See Configuring autoconnect with certificate authentication on page 134.
Once you have defined credentials, you must manually establish the tunnel the first time to store the provided credentials
for future connections.

Configuring autoconnect with username and password

authentication

To configure autoconnect with username and password authentication:

1. Configure EMS:
a. Go to Endpoint Profiles > Remote Access.
b. Edit the profile with the VPN tunnel that you want to configure autoconnect for.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 131

Fortinet Inc.
Appendix E - VPN autoconnect

c. Under General, from the Auto Connect dropdown list, select the desired VPN tunnel.

d. Edit the tunnel:

i. In Advanced Settings, enable Show "Remember Password" Option.
ii. Enable Show "Auto Connect" Option.
iii. Click Save Tunnel.
2. Configure FortiOS:
a. Do the following for an SSL VPN tunnel:
i. Go to VPN > SSL-VPN Portals.
ii. For the desired portal, enable Allow client to connect automatically. This automatically enables Allow client
to save password.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 132

Fortinet Inc.
Appendix E - VPN autoconnect

iii. Click OK.

b. Do the following for an IPsec VPN tunnel:

i. If you are using an existing tunnel, you can only configure autoconnect using the CLI. Run the following
commands:
config vpn ipsec phase1-interface
edit “vpn_tunnel_name”
set save-password enable
set client-auto-negotiate enable
next
end
ii. Do the following if you are creating a new tunnel:
i. Go to VPN > IPsec Wizard.
ii. Configure the tunnel as desired. In Client Options, enable Save Password and Auto Connect.
3. In FortiClient, go to the Remote Access tab. The Save Password and Auto Connect checkboxes should display. If
they do not display, you may have to connect manually to VPN once. Upon disconnect, the settings enabled in step
2 will appear below the Password field.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 133

Fortinet Inc.
 Appendix E - VPN autoconnect

Configuring autoconnect with certificate authentication

Certificate authentication requires three certificates:

l Certificate Authority (CA) certificate
l Server certificate that the CA certificate has signed
l Client certificate that the CA certificate has signed
If the selected CA is well-known, such as Digicert or Comodo, the CA certificate may be preinstalled on the endpoint.
Instead, this example uses FortiAuthenticator as a CA to sign the client and server certificates. In this example, you must
import the CA certificate in FortiAuthenticator to the endpoint and FortiOS.

Creating certificates in FortiAuthenticator

To create certificates in FortiAuthenticator:

1. Configure the CA certificate:

a. Go to Certificate Management > Certificate Authorities > Local CAs.
b. Click Create New.
c. Enter the desired values in the Certificate ID and Name (CN) fields.
d. Configure other fields as desired.
e. Click OK.

f. On the Local CAs pane, select the checkbox for the newly created certificate, then click Export Certificate.
g. Save the certificate in a location that you can upload it to FortiOS from.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 134

Fortinet Inc.
Appendix E - VPN autoconnect

2. Configure the server certificate:

a. Go to Certificate Management > End Entities > Users.
b. Click Create New.
c. In the Certificate ID field, enter the desired certificate name.
d. By default, the Issuer field is set to Local CA, and if you have only one local CA, it will be preselected in the
Certificate authority dropdown list. Ensure that the certificate you created in step 1 is selected.
e. In the Name (CN) field, enter the desired IP address. You must enter an IP address, as this is what FortiClient
uses to connect to the VPN tunnel.
f. Under Advanced Options: Key Usages > Extended Key Usages, select Server Authentication and move it from
the left to the right pane. Click OK.

g. On the Users pane, select the checkbox for the newly created certificate, then click Export Key and Cert.
h. Enter a strong password, then click OK.
i. FortiAuthenticator warns that the private key will be removed from FortiAuthenticator following the download.
Save the certificate in a location that you can upload it to FortiOS from.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 135

Fortinet Inc.
 Appendix E - VPN autoconnect

3. Configure the client certificate by repeating the instructions in step 2, except for step f. Instead of Server
Authentication, select Client Authentication and move it from the left to the right pane.

Configuring FortiOS

To configure FortiOS:

1. Go to System > Certificates. If Certificates is unavailable, enable the feature in System > Feature Visibility >
Certificates.
2. Import the CA certificate:
a. Select Import > CA Certificate.
b. For Type, select File.
c. Use the Upload button to locate the CA certificate that you generated in Creating certificates in
FortiAuthenticator on page 134.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 136

Fortinet Inc.
 Appendix E - VPN autoconnect

d. Click OK. The uploaded certificate appears under Remote CA Certificate with the name CA_Cert_1. You can
identify the certificate by the Subject column. In this example, the Subject column displays CN=lab.
3. Import the server certificate:
a. Select Import > Local Certificate.
b. For Type, select PKCS #12 Certificate.
c. Use the Upload button to locate the server certificate that you generated in Creating certificates in
FortiAuthenticator on page 134.
d. Enter the password that you defined when exporting the certificate-key pair. Click OK.
4. To use certificate authentication, you must create PKI users in the CLI. Enter the following commands:
config user peer
edit JimHalpert
set ca CA_Cert_1
set subject jhalpert
next
end
5. Configure VPN settings:
a. Go to VPN > SSL-VPN Settings.
b. Locate Server Certificate and find the server certificate that you uploaded.
c. Enable Require Client Certificate.
d. Click Apply.

Installing certificates on the client

To configure a Windows client:

1. Install the user certificate:

a. Double-click the certificate file to launch Certificate Import Wizard.
b. For Store Location, select Current User. Click Next.
c. The file name should already be accurate for the location and name. Click Next.

d. In the Password field, provide the password that you configured in Creating certificates in FortiAuthenticator on
page 134. Click Next.
e. Select Place all certificates in the following store.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 137

Fortinet Inc.
 Appendix E - VPN autoconnect

f. Browse to Personal. Click OK, then Next, and Finish.

2. Repeat step 1 to install the CA certificate. For step f, select Trusted Root Certificate Authorities instead of Personal.

To configure a macOS client:

1. Install the user certificate:

a. Open the certificate file. Keychain Access opens.
b. Double-click the certificate.
c. Expand Trust, then select Always Trust.

2. Repeat step 1 to install the CA certificate.

Configuring the VPN tunnel in EMS

To configure the VPN tunnel in EMS:

1. Go to Endpoint Profiles > Manage Profiles.

2. Select the desired profile.
3. On the VPN tab, select the desired VPN tunnel.
4. In Basic Settings, enable Require Certificate.
5. If you want to use only certificate authentication, disable Prompt for Username.
6. Click Save Tunnel.
7. Click Save to save the profile.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 138

Fortinet Inc.
 Appendix E - VPN autoconnect

Connecting to the VPN tunnel in FortiClient

To connect to the VPN tunnel in FortiClient:

1. In FortiClient, go to the Remote Access tab.

2. From the VPN Name dropdown list, select the desired VPN tunnel.
3. From the Client Certificate dropdown list, select the newly installed certificate.
4. Enable Auto Connect.
5. Click Connect to establish connection to this VPN tunnel for the first time. This user's subsequent logons
automatically bring up the VPN tunnel and use certificate authentication.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 139

Fortinet Inc.
Appendix F - SSL VPN prelogon

SSL VPN prelogon allows tunnel establishment at startup time before users log on to the computer. This may be
desirable in situations where remote terminals require access to the VPN hub before login regardless of the users who
log in to the computer.
Because the SSL VPN tunnel must establish without user authentication, the authentication method cannot be based on
username and password or on a user certificate.
Instead, this solution uses a machine certificate that a trusted certificate authority (CA) issued to allow the trusted
computer to connect.
This guide details the settings required to configure SSL VPN prelogon functionality in a Windows environment where a
Windows client establishes an SSL VPN tunnel with a FortiGate using a computer certificate that a Windows Active
Directory (AD) issued.
SSL VPN prelogon requires the following:
l The endpoint computer is registered to the Windows domain.
l A computer certificate that the Windows AD issued is installed on the endpoint’s local machine certificate store.
l The certificate is issued to the machine name. The name appearing in the SAN field is a UPN or DNS name value
matching the computer name in the AD.
l CA certificate of the root CA is installed on the FortiGate’s certificate store.
l FortiClient is installed and registered with EMS to retrieve the SSL VPN tunnel configurations.
The authentication flow is as follows:
1. Upon startup, FortiClient connects to the VPN gateway using its computer certificate for authentication.
2. FortiGate inspects the certificate expiry date, issuer CA, and SAN field.
3. The FortiGate does a LDAP lookup on the Windows AD to determine if the UPN or DNS name in the SAN field of the
certificate matches any computer in the domain. The match may be performed on the computer Name or
UserPrincipalName.
4. Optionally, FortiGate further verifies that the FortiGate user group allows the computer memberOf attribute.

SSL VPN prelogon using AD machine certificate

This example uses the following topology:

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 140

Fortinet Inc.
 Appendix F - SSL VPN prelogon

Computer/machine certificate

In this example, a group policy enables autoenrollment of computer certificates from each endpoint. The following is
issued to WIN10-01. To see the certificate, open the Certificate Manager or Certificate Plug-in, and go to Local
Computer\Personal\Certificates. Double-click the issued certificate and view the Details tab.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 141

Fortinet Inc.
Appendix F - SSL VPN prelogon

As the example shows, the Windows Active Directory (AD) issues a certificate with DNS Name=WIN10-01.fortiad.info in
the subject alternative name (SAN) field. This matches the computer userPrincipalName on the AD:

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 142

Fortinet Inc.
 Appendix F - SSL VPN prelogon

Alternatively, you can try to issue a custom computer certificate with principal name in the SAN field, which matches the
computer name field. Usually, the name field does not include the domain portion (fortiad.info in this example).
Therefore, stripping the domain portion from the certificate principal name requires extra configuration on the FortiGate.

Security group

The computer WIN10-01 is a member of the VPNComputers security group, which contains all computers that are
allowed access to VPN.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 143

Fortinet Inc.
 Appendix F - SSL VPN prelogon

CA certificate

You must import the Active Directory (AD) certificate authority (CA) certificate into the FortiGate for the FortiGate to verify
the chain of trust for the client certificate and the LDAPS connection.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 144

Fortinet Inc.
Appendix F - SSL VPN prelogon

To import the CA certificate:

1. In the Certification Authority manager, right-click your domain, then select Properties.
2. On the General tab, click View Certificate.

3. On the Details tab, click Copy to File...

4. Follow the wizard to save the file as a Base-64 encoded X.509 (.CER).
5. In FortiOS, import the certificate:
a. Go to System > Certificates.
b. Click Create/Import > CA Certificate.
c. For Type, select File.
d. Click Upload.
e. Select the previously saved CA certificate.
f. Click OK.
g. Once imported, run the following CLI commands to rename the certificate for easier recognition:
config vpn certificate ca
rename CA_Cert_1 to FortiAD.Info
end

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 145

Fortinet Inc.
Appendix F - SSL VPN prelogon

6. In System > Certificates, view the imported certificate under Remote CA Certificate.

Additionally, the root CA may have also issued a server certificate for the SSL VPN portal access. If so, you must import
this server certificate on the FortiGate. In this example, a wildcard certificate for *.ztnademo.com was issued and
installed on the FortiGate as the screenshot demonstrates.
Furthermore, you must install the CA certificate on the endpoint computer to verify the connection security with the SSL
VPN gateway. You should install the CA certificate to Local Computer\Trusted Root Certification Authority\Certificates.

FortiGate authentication configuration

You must configure several components on the FortiGate to perform authentication:

Component Description

LDAP server The LDAP server configuration defines the connection to the Active Directory
(AD) server. It also defines the subject alternate name (SAN) field in the client
certificate that should be used for matching. This can be one of the following:
l Othername – “Other name” in the SAN field

l rfc822name – RFC822 email address in the SAN field

l dnsname – DNS name in the SAN field

You can define the LDAP search filter to look up and match the preferred field on
the LDAP server. By default, the (userPrincipalName=%s) filter filters on the UPN
field during LDAP lookup. If looking up the name is desired, change the first
portion of the filter to (name=%s).
See Using the SAN field for LDAP-integrated certificate authentication.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 146

Fortinet Inc.
Appendix F - SSL VPN prelogon

Component Description

PKI user A PKI user defines one or many users that are matched using client certificate.
Matching against many users uses the LDAP-integrated authentication method.
See Configuring a PKI user.

User group A user group must have the LDAP server and PKI user objects defined.
Optionally, select a group name to match a computer that is memberOf the LDAP
group.

To configure the LDAP server:

1. In FortiOS, go to User & Authentication > LDAP Servers.

2. Click Create.
3. Configure the LDAP server as follows:

Field Value/configuration

Name LDAP-fortiad-Machine

Server IP/Name 10.88.0.1

Common Name Identifier sAMAccountName

Distinguished Name dc=fortiad,dc=info

Bind Type Regular

Username fortiad\Administrator

Password <password>

Secure Connection Enable. This is recommended.

Protocol LDAPS

Certificate FortiAD.Info. This is the certificate authority (CA) certificate imported from the
CA.

Server identity check Enable if supported.

4. Click OK.
5. To define the SAN-related settings, configure the bolded settings in the CLI:
config user ldap
edit "LDAP-fortiad-Machine"
set server "10.88.0.1"
set server-identity-check enable
set cnid "sAMAccountName"
set dn "dc=fortiad,dc=info"
set type regular
set username "fortiad\\Administrator"
set password ENC <password>
set secure ldaps
set ca-cert "FortiAD.Info"

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 147

Fortinet Inc.
Appendix F - SSL VPN prelogon

set port 636

set account-key-upn-san dnsname
set account-key-filter "(&(userPrincipalName=%s)(!
(UserAccountControl:1.2.840.113556.1.4.803:=2)))"
next
end

To filter on the SAN field UPN and match the name field during LDAP lookup, configure the following settings
instead:
config user ldap
edit "LDAP-fortiad-Machine"
set account-key-processing strip
set account-key-upn-san othername
set account-key-filter "(&(name=%s)(!
(UserAccountControl:1.2.840.113556.1.4.803:=2)))"
next
end

The setting set account-key-processing strip allows the FortiGate to strip the domain portion of the
othername before using it in the LDAP lookup.

To configure the PKI user:

You must configure the first PKI user from the CLI before it appears in the GUI. You must select the FortiAD.Info CA
certificate to verify the chain of trust.
config user peer
edit "PKI-LDAP-Machine"
set ca "FortiAD.Info"
set ldap-server "LDAP-fortiad-Machine"
set ldap-mode principal-name
next
end

To configure the user group:

1. Do one of the following:

a. To configure the user group in the GUI, do the following:
i. From User & Authentication > User Groups, click Create New.
ii. Set Name to PKI-Machine-Group.
iii. Set Type to Firewall.
iv. Set Members to the PKI user PKI-LDAP-Machine.
v. Under Remote Groups, click Add.
vi. Select the Remote Server LDAP-fortiad-Machine.
vii. From the tree, optionally select a group used for matching. Once selected, right-click the entry and click
Add Selected.
viii. Click OK to save.
ix. Click OK again to save the user group object.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 148

Fortinet Inc.
Appendix F - SSL VPN prelogon

b. To configure the user group in the CLI, run the following commands:
config user group
edit "PKI-Machine-Group"
set member "LDAP-fortiad-Machine" "PKI-LDAP-Machine"
config match
edit 1
set server-name "LDAP-fortiad-Machine"
set group-name "CN=VPNComputers,CN=Users,DC=fortiad,DC=info"
next
end
next
end

FortiGate SSL VPN configuration

The SSL VPN configuration is comprised of these parts:

l SSL VPN portal
l SSL VPN realm
l SSL VPN settings
l Firewall policy

To configure the SSL VPN portal:

You can use the default full-access or tunnel-access profile. Ensure that under Tunnel mode, split tunneling is configured
and enabled based on policy destination. You can configure additional settings as needed.

To configure the SSL VPN realm:

1. Go to System > Feature Visibility.

2. Enable SSL-VPN Realms.
3. Click Apply.
4. Under VPN > SSL-VPN Realms, click Create New.
5. Enter the URL path pki-ldap-machine.
6. Click OK to save.

To configure the SSL VPN settings:

1. Go to System > SSL-VPN Settings.

2. Input the following values:

Field Value

Enable SSL-VPN Enable

Listen on Interface(s) port3

Listen on Port 10443

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 149

Fortinet Inc.
Appendix F - SSL VPN prelogon

Field Value

Server Certificate ztna-wildcard. The Windows certificate authority issues this wildcard server
certificate.

DNS Server Specify

DNS Server #1 10.88.0.1

3. Under Authentication/Portal Mapping, click Create New to create a new mapping.

4. Set Users/Groups to PKI-Machine-Group.
5. Set Realm to Specify.
6. Select the /pki-ldap-machine realm.
7. Set the portal to full-access.
8. Click OK to save.
9. Edit the All Other Users/Groups entry:
a. Set portal to no-access.
b. Click OK to save.

To configure the firewall policy:

1. From Policy & Objects > Firewall Policy, click Create New to create a new policy.
2. Input the following values:

Field Value

Name VPN-Machine

Incoming Interface SSL-VPN tunnel interface (ssl.root)

Outgoing Interface port2

Source all, PKI-Machine-Group

Destination Create an address object for the web server 10.88.0.3/32 and any other
servers that must be accessed.

Schedule always

Service ALL

Action ACCEPT

Log Allow Traffic Enabled, All Sessions

3. Configure any other security profiles settings as needed.

4. Click OK to save.

Enabling VPN prelogon in EMS

A remote client should be registered to and managed by EMS to obtain the VPN remote access profile for connecting to
the VPN. Therefore, a firewall policy must allow access to the EMS server.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 150

Fortinet Inc.
 Appendix F - SSL VPN prelogon

You must configure a Remote Access profile in EMS to allow VPN prelogon. The first example creates a tunnel with
configurations for enabling VPN prelogon with machine certificate. Users can select FortiClient VPN on the Windows
logon page.
The next example takes it one step further and enables Windows to automatically connect to the tunnel on startup.

Configuring a firewall policy to allow access to EMS

To configure a firewall policy to allow access to EMS:

FortiGate should allow access on TCP/10443 (default) for client download and TCP/8013 (default) for telemetry.
1. On the FortiGate, go to Policy & Objects > Virtual IPs.
2. Click Create New.
3. Input the following values:

Field Value/configuration

Name Telemetry-VIP

Interface port3

Type Static NAT

External IP address/range 0.0.0.0

Map to IPv4 address/range 10.88.0.1

Services HTTPS. Create a new service called Telemetry, which has its destination port
set to TCP 8013.

4. Click OK.
5. Go to Policy & Objects > Firewall Policy. Click Create New.
6. Input the following values:

Field Value/configuration

Name WANtoEMS-Telemetry

Incoming Interface port3

Outgoing Interface port2

Source All

Destination Telemetry-VIP

Schedule Always

Service HTTPS, Telemetry

Action ACCEPT

Log Allow Traffic Enabled, All Sessions

7. Click OK to save.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 151

Fortinet Inc.
 Appendix F - SSL VPN prelogon

Configuring and applying a Remote Access profile

To configure a Remote Access profile on EMS:

1. In EMS, go to Endpoint Profiles > Remote Access. Click +Add to create a new profile.
2. For Name, enter Machine-VPN
3. In Advanced view, under General, enable Show VPN before Logon.
4. Under SSL VPN, enable Enable Invalid Server Certificate Warning.
5. Create the VPN tunnel:
a. Under VPN Tunnels, click +Add Tunnel.
b. In the VPN tunnel wizard, do the following:
c. Select the VPN Type Manual, then click Next.
d. Under Basic Settings, set the following values:

Field Value/configuration

Name machine-cert-tunnel

Type SSL VPN

Remote Gateway fgt.ztnademo.com/pki-ldap-machine

fgt.ztnademo.com resolves to 10.0.3.254. /pki-ldap-machine is the realm
used for this VPN.

Port 10443

Require Certificate Enable

Prompt for Username Disable

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 152

Fortinet Inc.
Appendix F - SSL VPN prelogon

e. Under Advanced Settings, enable Allow Non-Administrators to Use Machine Certificates.

f. Click Save to save the tunnel.
6. Click Save to save the Remote Access profile.
7. In XML view, click Edit.
8. Locate the machine-cert-tunnel connection. Under this connection, set the following settings:
<machine>1</machine>
<keep_running>1</keep_running>

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 153

Fortinet Inc.
 Appendix F - SSL VPN prelogon

9. Click Save.

To apply the Remote Access profile to an endpoint policy:

1. From Endpoint Policy & Components > Manage Policies, select the policy that is being applied to your endpoint, and
click Edit.
2. Under Profile, change the VPN selection to Machine-VPN.
3. Click Save.

Verifying and troubleshooting

The remote endpoint, WIN10-01, is ready to connect to VPN before logon. The example assumes that the endpoint
already has the latest FortiClient version installed. Ensure that the endpoint can register to EMS:

To verify FortiClient is registered and received the VPN tunnel settings:

1. In FortiClient, go to the Zero Trust Telemetry tab.

2. In the Server address field, enter ems.ztnademo.com. This resolves to the FortiGate external virtual IP address,
10.0.3.254.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 154

Fortinet Inc.
Appendix F - SSL VPN prelogon

3. Click Connect. Once connected, FortiClient receives a sync notification.

4. On the Remote Access tab, the machine-cert-vpn tunnel appears. Click the icon beside the VPN name to view the
tunnel details. Verify it matches the EMS VPN tunnel settings configured.

To verify FortiClient can connect to the VPN:

This step enables debug logs on the FortiGate to demonstrate the authentication that occurs during the connection.
1. In FortiOS, run the following commands:
diagnose debug enable
diagnose debug application fnbamd -1
2. In FortiClient on the Remote Access tab, select the machine-cert-vpn tunnel from the VPN Name dropdown list.
3. From the Client Certificate dropdown list, select the machine client certificate that was issued to this machine.

4. Click the eye icon beside the selected certificate. This certificate should match the computer/machine certificate in
SSL VPN prelogon using AD machine certificate on page 140.
5. Click Connect to initiate the VPN connection. If the connection succeeds, a popup indicates the VPN is up.
6. From the FortiGate, go to the Dashboard > Network > SSL-VPN widget to see the new tunnel created. The tunnel
username is identified by the common name found on the machine certificate assigned to the client. The user group

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 155

Fortinet Inc.
Appendix F - SSL VPN prelogon

that was matched, PKI-LDAP-Machine, is also indicated.

To interpret the debug logs:

From the CLI console, you can interpret the debugs as follows:
diagnose debug enable
diagnose debug application fnbamd -1
Debug messages will be on for 30 minutes.

Verify the certificate chain by looking for the bolded output:

[500] fnbamd_cert_verify-Following cert chain depth 0
[573] fnbamd_cert_verify-Issuer found: FortiAD.Info (SSL_DPI opt 1)
[500] fnbamd_cert_verify-Following cert chain depth 1

Verify the certificate subject, if enabled:

[675] fnbamd_cert_check_group_list-checking group with name 'PKI-Machine-Group'
[490] __check_add_peer-check 'LDAP-fortiad-Machine'
[492] __check_add_peer-'LDAP-fortiad-Machine' is not a peer user.
[490] __check_add_peer-check 'PKI-LDAP-Machine'
[366] peer_subject_cn_check-Cert subject 'CN = WIN10-01.fortiad.info'

Obtain the UPN from the certificate subject alternate name (SAN) field. In this case, it is the DNS name:
[426] __cert_ldap_query-LDAP query, idx 0
[448] __cert_ldap_query-UPN = 'WIN10-01.fortiad.info'

Filter the LDAP query to perform a lookup on the UPN attribute in the fortiad.info directory:
[1718] fnbamd_ldap_init-search filter is: (&(userPrincipalName=WIN10-01.fortiad.info)(!
(UserAccountControl:1.2.840.113556.1.4.803:=2)))
[1728] fnbamd_ldap_init-search base is: dc=fortiad,dc=info

Verify LDAP connection and user binding:

[1108] __ldap_connect-tcps_connect(10.88.0.1) is established.
[986] __ldap_rxtx-state 3(Admin Binding)
[363] __ldap_build_bind_req-Binding to 'fortiad\Administrator'
[1083] fnbamd_ldap_send-sending 43 bytes to 10.88.0.1

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 156

Fortinet Inc.
Appendix F - SSL VPN prelogon

Beginning of DN search:
[1053] __ldap_rxtx-Change state to 'DN search'
[986] __ldap_rxtx-state 11(DN search)
[750] fnbamd_ldap_build_dn_search_req-base:'dc=fortiad,dc=info' filter:(&
(userPrincipalName=WIN10-01.fortiad.info)(!
(UserAccountControl:1.2.840.113556.1.4.803:=2)))

DN entry found for the desired filter:

[1226] __fnbamd_ldap_dn_entry-Get DN 'CN=WIN10-01,CN=Computers,DC=fortiad,DC=info'

Begin searching for the MemberOf attribute for the DN entry:

[649] fnbamd_ldap_build_attr_search_req-Adding attr 'memberOf'
[661] fnbamd_ldap_build_attr_search_req-base:'CN=WIN10-01,CN=Computers,DC=fortiad,DC=info'
filter:cn=*
[1083] fnbamd_ldap_send-sending 119 bytes to 10.88.0.1

Found all groups including the primary group:

[522] __retrieve_group_values-Get the memberOf groups.
[532] __retrieve_group_values- attr='memberOf', found 1 values
[542] __retrieve_group_values-val[0]='CN=VPNComputers,CN=Users,DC=fortiad,DC=info'
[1127] __fnbamd_ldap_read-Read 8
…
[1053] __ldap_rxtx-Change state to 'Primary group query'
[986] __ldap_rxtx-state 13(Primary group query)
…
[472] __get_one_group-group: CN=Domain Computers,CN=Users,DC=fortiad,DC=info
[1127] __fnbamd_ldap_read-Read 8

Authentication is accepted, matching the FortiGate PKI-LDAP-Machine PKI peer:

[1431] __fnbamd_ldap_primary_grp_next-Auth accepted
…
[377] __cert_ldap_query_cb-LDAP ret=0, server='LDAP-fortiad-Machine', req_id=1534052817
[388] __cert_ldap_query_cb-Matched peer 'PKI-LDAP-Machine'
[755] __ldap_destroy-
[271] __cert_resume-req_id=1534052817
[99] __cert_chg_st- 'Status-Query' -> 'Done'

User group PKI-Machine-Group is matched:

[833] fnbamd_cert_check_matched_groups-checking group with name 'PKI-Machine-Group'
[121] fnbamd_ldap_dn_match-DN 'CN=VPNComputers,CN=Users,DC=fortiad,DC=info' is matched with
'CN=VPNComputers,CN=Users,DC=fortiad,DC=info', idx=0.
[895] fnbamd_cert_check_matched_groups-matched

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 157

Fortinet Inc.
 Appendix F - SSL VPN prelogon

To verify FortiClient can connect to the tunnel during Windows logon:

The earlier test verified a user can connect to the VPN using the machine certificate. The following verifies that
FortiClient can connect to the VPN during Windows logon.
1. Disconnect the current VPN connection by going to clicking Disconnect on the FortiClient Remote Access tab. A
VPN down notification appears on the endpoint.
2. In FortiOS, verify the VPN is down in Dashboard > Network > SSL-VPN widget.
3. Sign out of the current Windows session to arrive at the Windows logon screen.
4. In the user sign-in page, the following prompt appears:

If the prompt for VPN tunnel does not appear, click Sign-in options and select the FortiClient icon.
5. Enter the user password and sign in to Windows. Windows shows the progress and briefly shows a Connecting to
VPN (machine-cert-vpn)… message. A message appears to indicate the VPN connection succeeded.
6. On the FortiGate, verify the connection is up.

Enabling automatic VPN prelogon in EMS

Following the previous example, this section configures additional settings to allow the VPN to automatically establish
after Windows bootup and before the user signs in.
If you did not configure the previous settings, see Enabling VPN prelogon in EMS on page 150.

Configuring VPN to automatically connect before logon

To configure VPN to automatically connect before logon:

1. In EMS, go to Endpoint Profiles > Remote Access.

2. Clone the Machine-VPN profile.
3. Name the new profile Machine-VPN-with-auto-pre-logon.
4. Click Save.
5. In XML view, click Edit.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 158

Fortinet Inc.
Appendix F - SSL VPN prelogon

6. Locate the machine-cert-vpn connection.

7. Modify the name to machine-cert-vpn-auto.
8. Locate the <certificate/> element, and make the following modifications:
<certificate>
<common_name>
<match_type>wildcard</match_type>
<pattern>WIN10*</pattern>
</common_name>
<issuer>
<match_type>simple</match_type>
<pattern>fortiad-WIN-EMS-CA</pattern>
</issuer>
</certificate>

The common_name element uses wildcard matching to identify a machine certificate with CN matching WIN10*. The
issuer element matches a machine certificate that the fortiad-WIN-EMS-CA certificate authority issued. Replace
these with the appropriate patterns for your organization.

9. Under global VPN options, locate the <on_os_start_connect/> element and modify as follows:
<on_os_start_connect>machine-cert-vpn-auto</on_os_start_connect>

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 159

Fortinet Inc.
 Appendix F - SSL VPN prelogon

To apply the Remote Access profile to an endpoint policy:

1. From Endpoint Policy & Components > Manage Policies, select the policy that is being applied to your endpoint, and
click Edit.
2. Under Profile, change the VPN selection to Machine-VPN-with-auto-pre-logon.
3. Click Save.

Verifying and troubleshooting

The remote endpoint, WIN10-01, is ready to connect to VPN before logon automatically. The example assumes the
following:
l User has logged in to Windows.
l FortiClient is registered to EMS.
l FortiClient received the latest Remote Access profile update from EMS.
l VPN is not established.

To verify FortiClient received the VPN tunnel settings:

In FortiClient, go to the Remote Access tab. The machine-cert-vpn-auto tunnel appears. The client certificate of the
matching certificate should be selected.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 160

Fortinet Inc.
Appendix F - SSL VPN prelogon

To verify FortiClient can connect to the VPN before logon:

This step restarts the Windows computer to demonstrate automatic VPN connection before user logon. It also optionally
enables debug logs on the FortiGate to demonstrate the authentication that occurs during the connection.
1. In FortiOS, run the following commands:
diagnose debug enable
diagnose debug application fnbamd -1
2. Restart the remote endpoint.
3. When Windows boots up and the signin screen appears, FortiOS receives the SSL VPN connection request, and
the debugs appear in the CLI. Go to the Dashboard > Network > SSL-VPN widget to confirm the tunnel has been
established.

4. On the Windows signin screen, log in with your user credentials. No additional VPN tunnel successful messages
display.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 161

Fortinet Inc.
Appendix F - SSL VPN prelogon

5. In FortiClient on the Remote Access tab, confirm that the tunnel already established.

Troubleshooting the prelogon SSL VPN connection

A variety of problems may occur during the SSL VPN connection phase. These are a few scenarios and debugs that
identify problems that may occur.
For reference, review To interpret the debug logs: on page 156 to see outputs of a successful connection and
authentication.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 162

Fortinet Inc.
 Appendix F - SSL VPN prelogon

No connection

When first trying to connect to the manual tunnel configuration, the tunnel does not come up and FortiClient returns the
following error message at around 48% of connection progress:

On the FortiGate, use the CLI to verify whether traffic has been initiated to the correct interface and port:
diagnose sniffer packet port3 'port 10443' 4 0 l
Using Original Sniffing Mode
interfaces=[port3]
filters=[port 10443]

No output indicates that the wrong address or port is used. Verify the remote gateway address, port, and realm to ensure
you entered them properly.

VPN tunnel prompts for credentials

The VPN prelogon with machine certificate configuration does not rely on username and password to connect. On the
Remote Access profile assigned to the endpoint policy, edit the tunnel settings. In Basic Settings, ensure that Prompt for
Username is disabled.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 163

Fortinet Inc.
 Appendix F - SSL VPN prelogon

Wrong certificate selected

Similar to the error in No connection on page 163, the connection progress stops at 48% and Credential or SSLVPN
configuration is wrong (-7200) displays.
To troubleshoot authentication errors, enable fnbamd debugs on the FortiGate:
diagnose debug enable
diagnose debug application fnbamd -1

Reconnect to the VPN and observe the debugs. If a wrong certificate is selected, the following places may indicate as
such:
[320] fnbamd_chain_build-Extend chain by system trust store. (no luck)
[352] fnbamd_chain_build-Extend chain by remote CA cache. (no luck)

When verifying the certificate, there is no certificate chain back to the certificate authority (CA). This indicates one of the
following:
l CA certificate was not installed on the FortiGate.
l Wrong client certificate is being used to connect.
This output indicates that the certificate subject field identifies a user called Tom Smith. This indicates that a user
certificate is likely being used rather than a machine certificate:
[366] peer_subject_cn_check-Cert subject 'DC = info, DC = fortiad, OU = Sales, CN = Tom
Smith, emailAddress = tsmith@ztnademo.com'

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 164

Fortinet Inc.
 Appendix F - SSL VPN prelogon

FortiGate does not pick up UPN from certificate

The FortiGate looks at the certificate subject alternate name (SAN) field to identify the machine/computer name. If the
wrong SAN attribute is used, the FortiGate returns an empty string in the following debug output:
[448] __cert_ldap_query-UPN = ''

Subsequently, the LDAP search filter is empty, and the LDAP lookup fails:
[1718] fnbamd_ldap_init-search filter is: (&(userPrincipalName=)(!
(UserAccountControl:1.2.840.113556.1.4.803:=2)))

Review the correct setting to configure on the FortiGate (set account-key-upn-san <option>) and the SAN field
to use on the certificate in FortiGate authentication configuration on page 146.

LDAP lookup fails to match computer

There can be many ways for LDAP lookup to fail. Following are some scenarios:
l LDAP looks up the wrong attribute: By default, LDAP queries using the filter (&(userPrincipalName=%s)(!
(UserAccountControl:1.2.840.113556.1.4.803:=2))). This looks up the UPN attribute of the
computers within the LDAP directory.

However, the matching may need to occur on a different attribute, such as the name of the computer. Therefore,
ensure the filter is defined correctly to look for the proper attribute, and that the attribute on the computer on Active
Directory is defined properly.
l The subject alternate name (SAN) field and the value of the attribute of the computer do not match completely. See
as follows:

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 165

Fortinet Inc.
 Appendix F - SSL VPN prelogon

[448] __cert_ldap_query-UPN = 'WIN10-01.fortiad.info'

[1718] fnbamd_ldap_init-search filter is: (&(name=WIN10-01.fortiad.info)(!
(UserAccountControl:1.2.840.113556.1.4.803:=2)))
In this example, the FortiGate retrieves the certificate DNS name, which is WIN10-01.fortiad.info. However, the
computer name attribute of the computer is WIN10-01. So, this mismatch results in the computer not being matched
during LDAP lookup.

Resolving the issue may require a new certificate. You can also configure a different filter on the FortiGate’s
user.ldap.account-key-filter setting to look up a different attribute.

FortiGate cannot match right group

Assuming that LDAP lookup found the computer on the LDAP directory:
[750] fnbamd_ldap_build_dn_search_req-base:'dc=fortiad,dc=info' filter:(&
(userPrincipalName=WIN10-01.fortiad.info)(!
(UserAccountControl:1.2.840.113556.1.4.803:=2)))
…
[1226] __fnbamd_ldap_dn_entry-Get DN 'CN=WIN10-01,CN=Computers,DC=fortiad,DC=info'

Next it searches for the groups that this computer belongs to:
[649] fnbamd_ldap_build_attr_search_req-Adding attr 'memberOf'
[661] fnbamd_ldap_build_attr_search_req-base:'CN=WIN10-01,CN=Computers,DC=fortiad,DC=info'
filter:cn=*

Search returns multiple groups:

[532] __retrieve_group_values- attr='memberOf', found 1 values
[542] __retrieve_group_values-val[0]='CN=VPNComputers,CN=Users,DC=fortiad,DC=info'
…

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 166

Fortinet Inc.
 Appendix F - SSL VPN prelogon

[472] __get_one_group-group: CN=Domain Computers,CN=Users,DC=fortiad,DC=info

However, group matching fails:

[1074] fnbamd_cert_auth_copy_cert_status-Matched peer user 'PKI-LDAP-Machine'
[833] fnbamd_cert_check_matched_groups-checking group with name 'PKI-Machine-Group'
[903] fnbamd_cert_check_matched_groups-not matched

Verify group-name in the LDAP setting:

config user group
edit "PKI-Machine-Group"
set member "LDAP-fortiad-Machine" "PKI-LDAP-Machine"
config match
edit 1
set server-name "LDAP-fortiad-Machine"
set group-name "CN=VPNComputers,DC=fortiad,DC=info"
next
end
next
end

Since group-name is missing CN=Users, group matching failed.

Windows started up but tunnel did not come up

If you confirmed that FortiClient received the Remote access profile updates from EMS and that you can establish the
tunnel manually, verify the configuration by doing the following.

To verify the configuration:

1. Enable diagnose debug application fnbamd -1 debugs on the FortiGate.

2. Restart the Windows computer.
3. If upon restart, no debugs appear, the device has not attempted VPN connection.
4. On EMS, edit the Remote Access profile currently assigned to the endpoint policy.
5. In XML view, verify under the global <options> settings that <on_os_start_connect> is configured and
assigned the machine-cert-vpn-auto tunnel.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 167

Fortinet Inc.
Change log

Date Change description

2024-11-01 Initial release.

2024-11-08 Updated Installation requirements on page 22.

FortiClient 7.4.1 Administration Guide 168

Fortinet Inc.
 www.fortinet.com

Copyright© 2024 Fortinet, Inc. All rights reserved. Fortinet®, FortiGate®, FortiCare® and FortiGuard®, and certain other marks are registered trademarks of Fortinet, Inc., and other Fortinet names herein
may also be registered and/or common law trademarks of Fortinet. All other product or company names may be trademarks of their respective owners. Performance and other metrics contained herein were
attained in internal lab tests under ideal conditions, and actual performance and other results may vary. Network variables, different network environments and other conditions may affect performance
results. Nothing herein represents any binding commitment by Fortinet, and Fortinet disclaims all warranties, whether express or implied, except to the extent Fortinet enters a binding written contract,
signed by Fortinet’s Chief Legal Officer, with a purchaser that expressly warrants that the identified product will perform according to certain expressly-identified performance metrics and, in such event, only
the specific performance metrics expressly identified in such binding written contract shall be binding on Fortinet. For absolute clarity, any such warranty will be limited to performance in the same ideal
conditions as in Fortinet’s internal lab tests. Fortinet disclaims in full any covenants, representations, and guarantees pursuant hereto, whether express or implied. Fortinet reserves the right to change,
modify, transfer, or otherwise revise this publication without notice, and the most current version of the publication shall be applicable.