ConnectApplication · Fortinet
CVE-2016-8494
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedInsufficient verification of uploaded files allows attackers with webui administrators privileges to perform arbitrary code execution by uploading a new webui theme.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceThe vulnerability exists in the web UI's theme upload functionality where the application fails to properly validate uploaded theme files. An authenticated web UI administrator can upload a malicious theme package containing executable code, which the server will then process, leading to arbitrary code execution on the underlying system.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data
ConnectApplication
= 14.2= 14.10= 15.10= 16.7CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- High
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify Fortinet Connect installation and versionLocate the Fortinet Connect installation directory and check the version file or executable properties. Common locations include /opt/fortinet/connect or the Windows Program Files directory. Run 'forticonnect -v' or check the About section in the web UI.Affected if The installed version matches 14.2.x, 14.10.x, 15.10.x, or 16.7.x
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Verify the web UI component is runningCheck if the Fortinet Connect web interface is accessible by attempting to reach the management portal (typically ports 8080, 8443, or 443). Use 'netstat -an | grep -E "(8080|8443|443)"' or check service status.Affected if The web UI service is listening and accessible on the network
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Confirm theme upload feature is enabledAccess the web UI administrative console and navigate to System Settings or Theme Configuration. Check if a theme upload or import option exists and is not grayed out or disabled. Inspect configuration files for 'theme_upload' or 'allow_theme_upload' settings.Affected if Theme upload functionality is present and enabled in the configuration
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Review administrative access to the web UICheck the list of users with administrator privileges who have access to the web UI. Look for user accounts with 'admin' or 'super_admin' roles in the user database or LDAP configuration.Affected if There are administrator accounts configured with web UI access
You are affected if Fortinet Connect version 14.2.x, 14.10.x, 15.10.x, or 16.7.x is installed, the web UI is accessible, and the theme upload feature is enabled for any administrative user.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor dataImplement strict validation of uploaded theme files including file type verification, content-based validation, and storage in a non-executable location. Additionally, restrict the theme upload feature to only trusted administrators and consider disabling it if not required.
Fix this in Connect
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation6.0 h
- Implementation12.0 h
- Testing8.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $8,448.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2016-8494 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2016-8494 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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