Is Forticlient 7.4.3.4726 still safe to use?

We are currently evaluating our options and already have a quotation prepared for a licensed FortiClient solution, which is awaiting final approval and signature. Our organization has two FortiGate firewalls with active licenses and has been using FortiClient VPN Free Edition 7.4.3.4726 as our VPN client.

Approximately 20 days ago, one of our security partners advised us to remove or upgrade FortiClient VPN 7.4.3 due to a reported vulnerability. As a result, we upgraded to FortiClient VPN 7.4.8. However, we later discovered that this version appears to require FortiClient EMS for ongoing management, leaving us uncertain about the most appropriate temporary solution.

We have been unable to determine whether FortiClient VPN Free Edition 7.4.3.4726 remains secure for continued use. The software is still available for download, and discussions in community forums appear to reference different CVEs than the ones currently under review.

As part of our evaluation process, we would like to understand whether temporarily continuing to operate the free FortiClient VPN client introduces any known security risks.

Specifically, we are trying to determine:

• Whether FortiClient VPN Free Edition 7.4.3.4726 is affected by CVE-2026-70465 or any other recently disclosed FortiClient vulnerabilities.
• Whether the affected component exists in the VPN-only Free Edition, or only in the fully licensed FortiClient product with additional security features enabled.
• Which FortiClient VPN version is currently recommended by Fortinet for organizations temporarily using the free VPN client while transitioning to a licensed FortiClient deployment.

Any guidance or clarification you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

the other forum topic i mentioned: Technical Tip: List of CVE fixes in FortiClient Free VPN v7.4.3 for Windows only | Community

kind regards,

Jeremy