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FortiadcApplication · Fortinet

CVE-2022-35849

HIGH · 8.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-09-13
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 6.2.6 / 7.0.4 or later.
See remediation →
94/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable 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
An improper neutralization of special elements used in an OS command vulnerability [CWE-78] in the management interface of FortiADC 7.1.0 through 7.1.1, 7.0.0 through 7.0.3, 6.2.0 through 6.2.5 and 6.1.0 all versions may allow an authenticated attacker to execute unauthorized commands via specifically crafted arguments to existing commands.

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

Authenticated OS command injection vulnerability in FortiADC management interface allows attackers to execute arbitrary commands via specially crafted arguments to existing commands. The vulnerability affects the web management UI and requires valid authentication but can lead to complete system compromise.

MitigationUpgrade FortiADC to version 7.1.2, 7.0.4, 6.2.6, or later. If immediate patching is not possible, restrict management interface access to trusted networks only and monitor for suspicious command execution.

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
FortiadcApplication
Affected:< 6.2.6>= 7.0.0, < 7.0.4>= 7.1.0, < 7.1.2

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

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/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 FortiADC version
    Log into the FortiADC CLI and run the command: get system status. Alternatively, in the web UI, go to Dashboard > System Information to view the firmware version.
    Affected if The displayed version falls within < 6.2.6, >= 7.0.0 and < 7.0.4, or >= 7.1.0 and < 7.1.2
  2. Confirm management interface accessibility
    Check if the FortiADC web management interface (HTTP/HTTPS on ports 80/443 or custom management port) is reachable from network segments that are not trusted. Review interface binding settings in the web UI under System > Network > Interface.
    Affected if The management interface is exposed to untrusted networks (e.g., Internet or DMZ) without IP access restrictions
  3. Review admin audit logs for suspicious commands
    In the FortiADC web UI, go to Log & Report > Event Log > System and search for entries around the time of suspected activity. Look for commands containing unusual characters (such as ; | & $ or backticks) that may indicate injection attempts.
    Affected if Audit logs show execution of commands with suspicious argument patterns or unexpected command execution from admin sessions

You are affected if your FortiADC firmware version is less than 6.2.6, between 7.0.0-7.0.4, or between 7.1.0-7.1.2, and the management interface is accessible to untrusted 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 6.2.6 / 7.0.4 / 7.1.2 or later
Fixed in 6.2.67.0.47.1.2
Interim mitigation

Upgrade FortiADC to version 7.1.2, 7.0.4, 6.2.6, or later. If immediate patching is not possible, restrict management interface access to trusted networks only and monitor for suspicious command execution.

Recommended fix High confidence

FortiADC 6.2.6, 7.0.4, or 7.1.2 (depending on current branch)

  1. 1. Identify the current FortiADC version by navigating to Dashboard > Status or using the CLI command 'get system status'
  2. 2. Based on your current version branch, plan the upgrade:
  3. - If running 6.1.x: Upgrade to 6.2.6 or later (6.1.x is end-of-life, 6.2.x is the recommended upgrade path)
  4. - If running 6.2.0-6.2.5: Upgrade to FortiADC 6.2.6
  5. - If running 7.0.0-7.0.3: Upgrade to FortiADC 7.0.4
  6. - If running 7.1.0-7.1.1: Upgrade to FortiADC 7.1.2
  7. 3. Download the appropriate firmware from Fortinet Customer Support portal (https://support.fortinet.com/)
  8. 4. Backup the current FortiADC configuration before upgrading
Caveat Standard FortiADC upgrade considerations apply: backup configuration, review release notes for breaking changes, and test in non-production environment before deploying to production

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

Fix this in Fortiadc Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA3.0 h
21.0 hours of engineering $3,680
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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-2022-35849 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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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