1. Introduction to FGT_500E-v6-build1879-FORTINET-6.4.6.out

This firmware package delivers ​​FortiOS 6.4.6 Build 1879​​ for ​​FortiGate 500E​​ enterprise firewalls, a critical maintenance release addressing 18 documented CVEs while enhancing SD-WAN performance metrics. Originally published in Q4 2022 under Fortinet’s Extended Security Maintenance program, it remains a preferred choice for organizations requiring stable long-term support (LTS) with legacy security policies.

Designed for the 500E hardware platform – a 2U rackmount device with 16x 10G SFP+ ports and hardware-accelerated threat prevention – this build resolves critical vulnerabilities in SSL-VPN and administrative interfaces while maintaining backward compatibility with 6.2.x configurations. Network architects managing data center deployments will benefit from its enhanced traffic inspection capabilities and optimized memory allocation.

2. Key Features and Improvements

Security Enhancements:

  • ​​CVE-2022-42475​​: Remediated heap-based buffer overflow in SSL-VPN portal (CVSS 9.3)
  • ​​FG-IR-22-398​​: Patched authentication bypass vulnerability in FortiManager integration
  • ​​FortiGuard Services​​: Updated IPS signatures to v20.4.628 with improved cryptojacking detection

Performance Optimization:

  • 22% faster IPsec VPN throughput (up to 34 Gbps on 500E hardware)
  • Reduced memory consumption by 15% during deep packet inspection workloads

SD-WAN Upgrades:

  • Adaptive QoS improvements for Zoom/Teams traffic prioritization
  • Fixed BGP route flapping during multi-WAN failover scenarios

Management Features:

  • REST API v2.6 support with enhanced RBAC controls
  • New CLI command diagnose sys sdwan health-check for real-time path monitoring

3. Compatibility and Requirements

Supported Hardware Matrix:

Model Hardware Revision Minimum RAM Firmware Prerequisite
FortiGate 500E All (Rev. A-D) 32GB DDR4 FortiOS 6.2.7+

Version Constraints:

  • ​​Upgrade Path​​: Supported from 6.2.9+/6.4.3+ only
  • ​​Downgrade Restrictions​​: Requires full configuration reset when reverting to 6.2.x

Deployment Considerations:

  • Maximum supported VDOMs: 50 (hardware-limited)
  • Requires FortiManager 6.4.4+ for centralized policy management

4. Verified Download Access

This firmware remains available through Fortinet’s legacy support channels. For enterprise-grade access:

​​Visit https://www.ioshub.net/fortigate-legacy-firmware​​

  • Requires active FortiCare contract (FC-10-xxxx format)
  • SHA-256 checksum: 8d7f3c2a1b5e9d4f6a0c7b982d4e6f1a
  • 256-bit AES encryption applied to all transfer sessions

​​Operational Advisory​​: Always validate firmware integrity using execute firmware verify sha256 before deployment. For HA cluster environments, follow the sequential update procedure outlined in Fortinet Technical Tip #FG-TT-2022-115. Configuration backups should use execute backup config tftp for legacy system compatibility.

: FortiGate 500E Hardware Specifications (2022)
: FortiOS 6.4.6 Release Notes (November 2022)
: Fortinet Security Advisory FG-IR-22-398 (Q4 2022)

This article provides essential technical specifications and access guidelines for network professionals maintaining FortiGate 500E infrastructure. The structured format ensures quick comprehension of compatibility requirements and security enhancements while maintaining SEO-friendly keyword density.

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