dbcve.org
FortiwebApplication · Fortinet

CVE-2023-23779

HIGH · 8.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-02-16
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 6.3.19 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
Multiple improper neutralization of special elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection') vulnerabilities [CWE-78] in FortiWeb version 7.0.1 and below, 6.4 all versions, version 6.3.19 and below may allow an authenticated attacker to execute unauthorized code or commands via crafted parameters of HTTP requests.

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

FortiWeb web application firewall contains multiple OS command injection vulnerabilities (CWE-78) where authenticated attackers can execute arbitrary OS commands through crafted parameters in HTTP requests. The vulnerability affects versions 7.0.1 and below, all 6.4 versions, and 6.3.19 and below, allowing privilege escalation from authenticated user to command execution on the underlying system.

MitigationApply the vendor-released patch/upgrade to a non-affected FortiWeb version. Restrict management interface access to trusted networks and implement least-privilege access controls for administrative accounts.

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, <= 6.3.19= 6.4.0= 6.4.1= 6.4.2= 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
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 FortiWeb installation
    Check system for FortiWeb web application firewall by reviewing installed software, service listening on ports 80/443, or checking /opt/fortiweb directory if accessible
    Affected if FortiWeb software is found on the system
  2. Determine FortiWeb version
    Run command 'fortiweb -v' or check Web UI dashboard for firmware version, or query the management interface HTTP response headers
    Affected if Installed version is 6.3.6 through 6.3.19, any 6.4.x version (6.4.0-6.4.2), or 7.0.0-7.0.1
  3. Verify management interface exposure
    Check network configuration to determine if FortiWeb admin UI or API is accessible from untrusted networks (public internet or non-admin VLANs)
    Affected if Management interface is reachable from untrusted networks without VPN or IP restriction
  4. Audit administrative accounts
    Review local FortiWeb user accounts with administrative privileges using 'fwbadmin -u' or through Web UI user management
    Affected if Any administrative user accounts exist on the system (required for authenticated exploitation)
  5. Review access logs for suspicious requests
    Examine FortiWeb logs for command injection patterns in HTTP parameters (look for semicolons, backticks, pipes, or $(command) syntax in URL query strings or POST bodies)
    Affected if Log entries show unusual parameter patterns indicative of command injection attempts

You are affected if FortiWeb is installed with version 6.3.6-6.3.19, 6.4.x, or 7.0.0-7.0.1 and the management interface is accessible to untrusted networks with valid credentials.

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.

From vendor data
Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 6.3.19
Interim mitigation

Apply the vendor-released patch/upgrade to a non-affected FortiWeb version. Restrict management interface access to trusted networks and implement least-privilege access controls for administrative accounts.

Fix this in Fortiweb Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing8.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
22.0 hours of engineering $3,800
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $6,080.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-23779 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.

Get it on GitHub Scan in the browser

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-2023-23779 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.

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