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FortianalyzerApplication · Fortinet

CVE-2023-25611

HIGH · 7.3 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-03-07
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 7.0.6 / 7.2.2 or later.
See remediation →
73/100
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
A improper neutralization of formula elements in a CSV file vulnerability in Fortinet FortiAnalyzer 6.4.0 - 6.4.9, 7.0.0 - 7.0.5, and 7.2.0 - 7.2.1 allows local attacker to execute unauthorized code or commands via inserting spreadsheet formulas in macro names.

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

FortiAnalyzer fails to properly sanitize or escape formula elements (=, +, -, @, etc.) in CSV exports when macro names contain spreadsheet formulas. When a user opens the crafted CSV in spreadsheet software, the formula executes, potentially allowing command injection on the local system.

MitigationApply Fortinet patches for FortiAnalyzer 7.0.6/7.2.2 or later versions. As a compensating control, disable automatic spreadsheet formula execution or open CSV files in plain text editors first.

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
FortianalyzerApplication
Affected:>= 6.4.0, < 7.0.6>= 7.2.0, < 7.2.2

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
Low
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/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 FortiAnalyzer version
    Run 'get system status' in FortiAnalyzer CLI or view System > Dashboard > Status in the web UI to identify the exact firmware version
    Affected if Version is 6.4.0 through 7.0.5, or 7.2.0 through 7.2.1 (falls within the vulnerable ranges)
  2. Identify CSV export usage
    Review FortiAnalyzer Report settings (Report > Report Definition) or Log Export configurations to see if CSV format is enabled for any outputs
    Affected if CSV export is configured or used for any reports or log exports
  3. Inspect exported CSV content
    Generate a test CSV export and open the file in a plain text editor (not a spreadsheet) to examine whether any field values start with formula characters (=, +, -, @, tab, or inject keywords like cmd|)
    Affected if CSV output contains values beginning with =, +, -, @, or other spreadsheet formula trigger characters

Environment is affected if FortiAnalyzer version is 6.4.0-7.0.5 or 7.2.0-7.2.1 AND CSV exports are used, with the exported files potentially containing spreadsheet formula characters

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 7.0.6 / 7.2.2 or later
Fixed in 7.0.67.2.2
Interim mitigation

Apply Fortinet patches for FortiAnalyzer 7.0.6/7.2.2 or later versions. As a compensating control, disable automatic spreadsheet formula execution or open CSV files in plain text editors first.

Recommended fix High confidence

FortiAnalyzer 7.0.6 or 7.2.2 (depending on your current major version branch)

  1. 1. Back up current FortiAnalyzer configuration and data.
  2. 2. Download FortiAnalyzer version 7.0.6 or 7.2.2 from the Fortinet Support Portal (support.fortinet.com).
  3. 3. Log in to FortiAnalyzer web UI or CLI as administrator.
  4. 4. Navigate to System Settings > Firmware or use 'execute firmware upgrade' command in CLI.
  5. 5. Upload the downloaded firmware file and initiate the upgrade.
  6. 6. Wait for the upgrade to complete and for the system to reboot.
  7. 7. After reboot, verify the new firmware version via System Settings > Dashboard > System Information or 'get system status' CLI command.
  8. 8. Confirm the vulnerability is resolved by checking that macro formulas in CSV exports are no longer executed.
Caveat Standard minor version upgrades within the same branch typically retain configuration compatibility; always review Fortinet release notes for specific changes before upgrading

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

Fix this in Fortianalyzer Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
12.0 hours of engineering $2,120
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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-2023-25611 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
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