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FortimanagerApplication · Fortinet

CVE-2021-24016

MEDIUM · 6.3 CVSS v3.1 Published 2021-09-30
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 6.2.8 / 6.4.4 or later.
See remediation →
63/100
Remediation priority · Elevated

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 · unedited
An improper neutralization of formula elements in a csv file in Fortinet FortiManager version 6.4.3 and below, 6.2.7 and below allows attacker to execute arbitrary commands via crafted IPv4 field in policy name, when exported as excel file and opened unsafely on the victim host.

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 confidence

FortiManager versions 6.4.3 and below, 6.2.7 and below contain an improper neutralization of formula elements in CSV exports. An attacker with sufficient privileges to create or modify policy objects can insert crafted IPv4 field values containing spreadsheet formula syntax (e.g., =CMD) into policy names. When the policy table is exported as an Excel-compatible CSV file and opened by a victim, the formula executes, allowing arbitrary command execution on the victim's host.

MitigationUpgrade FortiManager to version 6.4.4, 6.2.8, or later to patch the formula injection vulnerability. Additionally, warn users to avoid opening untrusted exported files and enable Protected View in Excel as a defense-in-depth measure.

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
FortimanagerApplication
Affected:< 6.2.8>= 6.4.0, < 6.4.4

CVSS 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
Local
Complexity
High
Privileges
High
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:R/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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Check FortiManager version
    Run `get system status` in FortiManager CLI or check System > Settings > FortiManager in the GUI to view the firmware version
    Affected if Version is below 6.2.8, or between 6.4.0 and 6.4.3 inclusive
  2. Identify users with policy modification privileges
    Review user accounts and their profiles in FortiManager GUI under User & Device > User Definition or `diagnose sys admin list` in CLI
    Affected if Any user account has write access to policy packages (creates/modify privilege)
  3. Examine policy objects for formula injection syntax
    In FortiManager CLI, run `diagnose fw policy list` or use the GUI to view Policy & Objects > Firewall Policy, then search policy names for characters: =, +, -, @, or leading tabs/spaces
    Affected if Any policy name contains spreadsheet formula syntax such as =CMD, =+cmd, or similar patterns typically used in CSV injection
  4. Review recent CSV exports
    Check the FortiManager file system under /tmp or /var/log for recently generated CSV files, or ask users if they have exported policy tables to CSV
    Affected if CSV exports of policy tables exist and were opened in spreadsheet software without Protected View enabled

You are affected if FortiManager version is below 6.2.8 or between 6.4.0 and 6.4.3, AND any user with policy modification privileges exists, AND policy objects contain formula-like syntax in their names that could have been exported to CSV.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 6.2.8 / 6.4.4 or later
Fixed in 6.2.86.4.4
Interim mitigation

Upgrade FortiManager to version 6.4.4, 6.2.8, or later to patch the formula injection vulnerability. Additionally, warn users to avoid opening untrusted exported files and enable Protected View in Excel as a defense-in-depth measure.

Recommended fix High confidence

FortiManager 6.2.8 or later (6.2 branch) / 6.4.4 or later (6.4 branch)

  1. 1. Identify the current FortiManager version by navigating to System Settings > Dashboard > Status or using 'get system status' in CLI
  2. 2. If running version 6.2.x and below 6.2.8: Plan upgrade to FortiManager 6.2.8 or later stable 6.2.x release
  3. 3. If running version 6.4.0 through 6.4.3: Plan upgrade to FortiManager 6.4.4 or later stable 6.4.x release
  4. 4. Before upgrading, backup the FortiManager configuration using 'execute backup full-config' via FTP/SCP or FMG
  5. 5. Review Fortinet release notes for the target version to understand any behavioral changes or migration requirements
  6. 6. Execute the upgrade via FortiManager web UI (System Settings > Firmware) or CLI using 'execute restore image' with the new firmware file
  7. 7. After upgrade, verify the system is operational and all services are running correctly
  8. 8. As a workaround for unpatched versions: Do not export policy tables to CSV/Excel, or open exported files in a sandboxed environment
Caveat Review release notes for migration steps; certain configurations may need adjustment after major version upgrades

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Fortimanager Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
18.0 hours of engineering $3,200
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2021-24016 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • 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
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data