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FortinacApplication · Fortinet

CVE-2023-26203

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-05-03
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 9.4.3 or later.
See remediation →
80/100
Remediation priority · High
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 use of hard-coded credentials vulnerability [CWE-798] in FortiNAC-F version 7.2.0, FortiNAC version 9.4.2 and below, 9.2 all versions, 9.1 all versions, 8.8 all versions, 8.7 all versions may allow an authenticated attacker to access to the database via shell 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

FortiNAC contains hard-coded credentials (CWE-798) embedded in the software that allow an authenticated attacker to execute shell commands and gain unauthorized access to the database. The vulnerability exists across multiple version branches (8.7 through 9.4.2 and FortiNAC-F 7.2.0), indicating a systemic issue in credential management.

MitigationApply the vendor-supplied patch or upgrade to a fixed version as specified in Fortinet's security advisory. Review and rotate any credentials that may have been exposed, and limit administrative access to trusted personnel.

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
FortinacApplication
Affected:>= 8.7.0, <= 9.2.7>= 9.4.0, < 9.4.3
Fortinac FApplication
Affected:= 7.2.0

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
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/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 FortiNAC installed version
    Log into FortiNAC via CLI (ssh) or navigate to System > Settings > General in the web UI. Run command: fnsysctl get system status or check the dashboard for version information
    Affected if Version falls within >= 8.7.0 through 9.2.7, OR >= 9.4.0 through 9.4.2, OR is exactly 7.2.0 (FortiNAC-F)
  2. Confirm FortiNAC-F variant version
    If running FortiNAC-F (appliance model ending in F), verify the specific build version. Check via: fnsysctl ls /opt or look for version file in /ng/bin/
    Affected if Version is exactly 7.2.0 for FortiNAC-F variant
  3. Verify vulnerability presence via version match
    Since CVE-2023-26203 stems from hardcoded credentials embedded in the software binary, the vulnerability exists in all affected versions regardless of configuration. No specific feature or setting must be enabled.
    Affected if Installed version matches any of the affected ranges: 8.7.0-9.2.7, 9.4.0-9.4.2, or FortiNAC-F 7.2.0

You are affected if your FortiNAC or FortiNAC-F version falls within the listed vulnerable ranges; the hardcoded credentials are present in the software binary of any affected version.

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 9.4.3 or later
Fixed in 9.4.3
Interim mitigation

Apply the vendor-supplied patch or upgrade to a fixed version as specified in Fortinet's security advisory. Review and rotate any credentials that may have been exposed, and limit administrative access to trusted personnel.

Recommended fix High confidence

FortiNAC version 9.4.3 or later (for FortiNAC-F 7.2.0, contact Fortinet for specific guidance)

  1. 1. Identify the current FortiNAC version by accessing the admin UI or running 'forticacd --version' via CLI
  2. 2. For FortiNAC versions 8.7.x through 9.2.7: Plan upgrade to version 9.4.3 or later
  3. 3. For FortiNAC versions 9.4.0 through 9.4.2: Plan upgrade to version 9.4.3 or later
  4. 4. For FortiNAC-F version 7.2.0: Contact Fortinet support for patch availability or upgrade path, as version 7.2.0 is listed as affected only
  5. 5. Review Fortinet release notes for 9.4.3 to confirm the hard-coded credentials vulnerability (CVE-2023-26203) is addressed
  6. 6. Schedule maintenance window and perform backup of configuration
  7. 7. Execute upgrade following Fortinet official upgrade guide for your deployment model
  8. 8. After upgrade, verify the system is operational and the vulnerability is resolved by confirming hard-coded credentials are no longer present in the system
Caveat Review Fortinet upgrade path documentation for any migration considerations between major versions; some legacy features may require reconfiguration

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

Fix this in Fortinac Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
20.0 hours of engineering $3,500
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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-2023-26203 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