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FortiproxyApplication · Fortinet

CVE-2021-44170

MEDIUM · 6.7 CVSS v3.1 Published 2022-07-18
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 2.0.8 / 6.2.11 or later.
See remediation →
69/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Zero-click

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
A stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability [CWE-121] in the command line interpreter of FortiOS before 7.0.4 and FortiProxy before 2.0.8 may allow an authenticated attacker to execute unauthorized code or commands via specially crafted command line arguments.

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

A stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability in the command line interpreter of FortiOS before 7.0.4 and FortiProxy before 2.0.8 allows authenticated attackers to execute arbitrary code or commands via specially crafted command line arguments. The flaw stems from insufficient bounds checking when processing CLI input.

MitigationUpgrade to FortiOS 7.0.4 or FortiProxy 2.0.8 or later. If immediate patching is not feasible, restrict CLI access to trusted administrative users only and monitor for suspicious CLI activity.

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
FortiproxyApplication
Affected:>= 1.0.0, <= 1.0.7>= 1.1.0, <= 1.1.6>= 1.2.0, <= 1.2.13>= 2.0.0, < 2.0.8
FortiosOperating system
Affected:>= 6.0.0, <= 6.0.14>= 6.2.0, < 6.2.11>= 6.4.0, < 6.4.9>= 7.0.0, <= 7.0.2

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
Low
Privileges
High
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/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 checks

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

  1. Identify the product and installed version
    Run `get system status` in the FortiOS/FortiProxy CLI or check the web UI dashboard for the firmware version
    Affected if The version shown matches any of the affected ranges: FortiOS 6.0.0-6.0.14, 6.2.0-6.2.10, 6.4.0-6.4.8, or 7.0.0-7.0.2; FortiProxy 1.0.0-1.0.7, 1.1.0-1.1.6, 1.2.0-1.2.13, or 2.0.0-2.0.7
  2. Confirm CLI access is enabled
    Verify that the command line interface is accessible via SSH, console, or the GUI CLI widget. Check system settings for administrative access configurations.
    Affected if CLI access is enabled and reachable from any network where untrusted users could authenticate
  3. Verify authenticated user accounts exist
    Run `get system admin` in the CLI to list administrative accounts, or review admin user configurations in the web UI under System > Administrators
    Affected if There are any administrative or operator-level accounts configured, especially those with write access
  4. Check for external or untrusted admin access
    Review which admin profiles have access, the source IPs permitted for admin login (check `config system admin` and `config system accprofile`), and whether the CLI is exposed to untrusted networks
    Affected if Admin accounts can log in from beyond trusted management networks or if the admin user base includes accounts with elevated privileges

You are affected if your FortiOS or FortiProxy version falls within the affected ranges listed and the CLI interface is accessible to authenticated users.

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 2.0.8 / 6.2.11 / 6.4.9 or later
Fixed in 2.0.86.2.116.4.9
Interim mitigation

Upgrade to FortiOS 7.0.4 or FortiProxy 2.0.8 or later. If immediate patching is not feasible, restrict CLI access to trusted administrative users only and monitor for suspicious CLI activity.

Recommended fix High confidence

FortiOS 7.0.4 or later; FortiProxy 2.0.8 or later

  1. 1. Identify the currently installed FortiOS or FortiProxy version using 'get system status' or 'get system info' CLI command
  2. 2. For FortiOS: If running 6.0.x, upgrade to 6.0.14 or later; if running 6.2.x, upgrade to 6.2.11 or later; if running 6.4.x, upgrade to 6.4.9 or later; if running 7.0.x, upgrade to 7.0.4 or later
  3. 3. For FortiProxy: If running 1.0.x, upgrade to 1.0.7 or later; if running 1.1.x, upgrade to 1.1.6 or later; if running 1.2.x, upgrade to 1.2.13 or later; if running 2.0.x, upgrade to 2.0.8 or later
  4. 4. Download the appropriate firmware from Fortinet support portal or FortiGuard
  5. 5. Upload the firmware image via GUI (System > Firmware) or CLI: 'execute upgrade <image>'
  6. 6. Verify the upgrade was successful and the system is functioning normally
  7. 7. Confirm the fixed version is running using 'get system status'

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

Fix this in Fortiproxy Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation3.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
12.0 hours of engineering $2,100
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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-2021-44170 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