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FortiwebApplication · Fortinet

CVE-2023-23777

HIGH · 7.2 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-07-11
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 6.4.3 or later.
See remediation →
78/100
Remediation priority · High
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 ('OS Command Injection') vulnerability [CWE-78] in FortiWeb version 7.0.1 and below, 6.4 all versions, version 6.3.18 and below may allow a privileged attacker to execute arbitrary bash commands via crafted cli backup parameters.

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

OS command injection vulnerability in FortiWeb's CLI backup functionality allows a privileged attacker to execute arbitrary bash commands through crafted backup parameters. The vulnerability affects versions 7.0.1 and below, all 6.4 versions, and 6.3.18 and below, with a CVSS score of 7.2 indicating high severity.

MitigationUpdate FortiWeb to the latest patched version to remediate this vulnerability. Until patched, limit CLI access to trusted privileged users only and monitor for suspicious command patterns in backup operations.

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
FortiwebApplication
Affected:>= 6.3.6, <= 6.3.18>= 6.4.0, <= 6.4.3= 7.0.0= 7.0.1

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
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 checks

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

  1. Identify FortiWeb version
    Access the FortiWeb CLI or GUI and run the command 'get system status' or check System > Firmware in the GUI to view the installed version number
    Affected if The installed version falls within 6.3.6-6.3.18, 6.4.0-6.4.3, 7.0.0, or 7.0.1
  2. Confirm CLI access is enabled
    Check if the administrative CLI interface is accessible via SSH, console, or HTTPS API. Verify in System > Admin > Administrators that privileged user accounts exist
    Affected if CLI access is available to privileged users, which is required for the attack vector
  3. Review backup configuration
    Examine backup settings in the FortiWeb GUI under System > Maintenance > Backup or via CLI command 'show system backup' to see if backup functionality is configured
    Affected if Backup functionality is enabled or configured, as this is the specific feature containing the vulnerability
  4. Audit recent backup operations
    Review FortiWeb logs and audit trails for backup operations. Check System > Log Access > Event logs for any backup-related commands or configurations with unusual parameters
    Affected if Suspicious or anomalous backup commands appear in logs, indicating potential exploitation attempts

Your environment is affected if FortiWeb is running version 6.3.6-6.3.18, 6.4.0-6.4.3, 7.0.0, or 7.0.1 and the CLI with backup functionality is accessible to privileged 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 a release after 6.4.3
Interim mitigation

Update FortiWeb to the latest patched version to remediate this vulnerability. Until patched, limit CLI access to trusted privileged users only and monitor for suspicious command patterns in backup operations.

Recommended fix High confidence

FortiWeb 7.0.2 or later (or latest stable 7.0.x/7.2.x release)

  1. Download the latest FortiWeb firmware version from Fortinet's support portal (fortinet.com/support)
  2. Review the FortiWeb upgrade guide for your current version
  3. Schedule a maintenance window and create a full backup of the FortiWeb configuration
  4. Upload the new firmware image via FortiWeb web UI (System > Firmware) or CLI
  5. Verify the upgrade completed successfully and the new version is running
  6. Confirm the vulnerability is resolved by checking the FortiWeb version and running a configuration audit
Caveat Review FortiWeb release notes for any configuration or behavioral changes between your current version and the upgrade target

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

Fix this in Fortiweb 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-2023-23777 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