CLI Command to Verify FSSO Login Status for a Specific User on FortiGate
An administrator configures FSSO (Fortinet Single Sign-On) with Active Directory polling. Users report that their web traffic is being blocked by the firewall even though they are logged into the domain. Which CLI command can the administrator use to verify the FSSO login status for a specific user?
Quick Answer
The answer is the CLI command `diagnose debug authd fsso list`. This command is the correct choice because it queries the authentication daemon (authd) to display all FSSO users currently known to the FortiGate, showing each user’s IP address, login state, and the domain controller that authenticated them. When users report that their web traffic is blocked despite being logged into the domain, this command directly verifies whether the FortiGate has actually received and stored the user’s FSSO login information from Active Directory polling. On the Fortinet NSE 4 Network Security Professional exam, this question tests your ability to troubleshoot FSSO authentication failures—a common scenario where a user is domain-authenticated but the firewall still sees them as “unauthenticated” traffic. A frequent trap is confusing this with `diagnose debug authd fsso show`, which only shows configuration, not live login status. Memory tip: think “list” for live logins—if the user’s IP isn’t in the list, FSSO polling hasn’t recognized them yet.
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently confuse FSSO verification commands with LDAP authentication test commands or proxy user lists, leading them to choose options that test different authentication mechanisms (LDAP or WAD) rather than the FSSO-specific authd database.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
diagnose debug authd fsso list
The command 'diagnose debug authd fsso list' displays the current FSSO login status for all users, including the Fortinet Single Sign-On (FSSO) session information such as username, IP address, and group membership. This command queries the authentication daemon (authd) which maintains the FSSO user database, allowing the administrator to verify if a specific user is authenticated and which firewall policies apply. It directly addresses the scenario where users are logged into the domain but web traffic is blocked, as it confirms whether the FSSO polling has successfully registered the user's login.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
diagnose user fsso poll user <username>
Why it's wrong here
There is no such command. The correct command is 'diagnose debug authd fsso list'.
- ✗
diagnose wad user list
Why it's wrong here
This command shows web proxy users, not necessarily FSSO.
- ✓
diagnose debug authd fsso list
Why this is correct
Correct. This command lists all FSSO users with their IP addresses and group memberships.
- ✗
diagnose test authserver ldap <server> <username>
Why it's wrong here
This tests LDAP authentication, not FSSO status.
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Same concept, more angles
2 more ways this is tested on NSE4
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A FortiGate is configured with FSSO to poll Active Directory for user logon events. Users report that their logins are not being detected. What is the FIRST step to troubleshoot?
medium- A.Recreate all firewall policies
- ✓ B.Run 'diag debug fsso poll' to verify the collector agent status
- C.Disable and re-enable FSSO
- D.Restart the FortiGate firewall
Why B: The 'diag debug fsso poll' command directly checks the communication status between the FortiGate and the FSSO collector agent. This is the first logical step to verify whether the collector agent is successfully polling Active Directory for logon events, which is the root cause of undetected logins.
Variation 2. A FortiGate with multiple VDOMs is configured for FSSO with Active Directory polling. Users in VDOM1 are authenticated correctly, but users in VDOM2 are not. What should be checked FIRST?
medium- A.The DNS resolution for the domain controller in VDOM2
- B.The firewall policy ordering in VDOM2
- ✓ C.The FSSO collector agent settings for VDOM2
- D.The LDAP server configuration in VDOM2
Why C: In a multi-VDOM FSSO setup with Active Directory polling, each VDOM requires its own FSSO collector agent configuration to map domain users to the correct VDOM. Since VDOM1 works but VDOM2 does not, the most likely cause is that the FSSO collector agent settings for VDOM2 are missing or misconfigured, such as the collector agent IP, port, or shared secret. This is the first item to verify because FSSO polling relies on per-VDOM agent communication to deliver user-to-IP mappings.
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This NSE4 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Fortinet certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the NSE4 exam.