FortisandboxApplication · Fortinet
CVE-2021-22125
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 · uneditedAn instance of improper neutralization of special elements in the sniffer module of FortiSandbox before 3.2.2 may allow an authenticated administrator to execute commands on the underlying system's shell via altering the content of its configuration file.
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 confidenceFortiSandbox versions prior to 3.2.2 contain a command injection vulnerability in the sniffer module. An authenticated administrator can inject arbitrary shell commands by modifying the content of the sniffer module's configuration file, allowing complete compromise of 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
FortisandboxApplication
< 3.2.2CVSS 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:3.1/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 FortiSandbox installation and versionAccess the FortiSandbox CLI or web interface and retrieve the firmware version. In CLI, run: get system status or execute: fnbcmd -v to display the installed version.Affected if The installed version is any release prior to 3.2.2 (e.g., 3.2.1, 3.2.0, 3.1.x, earlier).
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Confirm the sniffer module is configuredNavigate to the FortiSandbox web interface: Network > Sniffer or use CLI: diagnose-sniffer. Alternatively, inspect the configuration file /etc/fsa/sandbox.conf or the sniffer configuration under /app/ directory.Affected if The sniffer module is enabled and has an active configuration profile (the vulnerability requires this module to be present and configurable).
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Check for unauthorized configuration changesReview the sniffer module configuration file for unexpected content, particularly in fields that should accept only network interface names or IDs. Use: cat /etc/fsa/sniffer.conf or check the configuration via GUI history if available.Affected if The configuration file contains shell metacharacters, suspicious command strings, or unexpected paths that were not intentionally added by administrators.
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Audit administrator access logsReview FortiSandbox logs for administrative actions related to sniffer configuration changes. Use the web interface: Log & Report > Event Log > Configuration, or CLI: execute log filter category 2, then execute log display.Affected if There are configuration modification events from administrator accounts that are unexpected or from unauthorized sources.
A user is affected if FortiSandbox version is below 3.2.2 AND the sniffer module is configured/enabled, allowing an authenticated administrator to inject commands via the sniffer configuration.
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 data3.2.2
Upgrade FortiSandbox to version 3.2.2 or later to remediate this vulnerability. Additionally, restrict administrator access to only trusted personnel and monitor configuration file changes for suspicious activity.
Fix this in Fortisandbox
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation6.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,304.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-22125 — 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-2021-22125 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
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