dbcve.org
FortinacApplication · Fortinet

CVE-2023-33300

MEDIUM · 5.3 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-03-14
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 7.2.2 / 9.4.4 or later.
See remediation →
62/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Remotely reachable No privileges 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 improper neutralization of special elements used in a command ('command injection') in Fortinet FortiNAC 7.2.1 and earlier, 9.4.3 and earlier allows attacker a limited, unauthorized file access via specifically crafted request in inter-server communication port.

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 · moderate confidence

This is a command injection vulnerability in FortiNAC's inter-server communication port. An attacker can send specifically crafted requests to execute arbitrary commands, resulting in limited unauthorized file access. The vulnerability stems from improper neutralization of special elements in commands.

MitigationApply the Fortinet patch for FortiNAC versions beyond 7.2.1 and 9.4.3. Additionally, restrict network access to inter-server communication ports to trusted systems only.

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:>= 7.2.0, < 7.2.2>= 9.4.0, < 9.4.4

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
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
Low
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N

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. Confirm FortiNAC is installed
    Locate FortiNAC installation directories or check system services for FortiNAC processes
    Affected if FortiNAC software is present on the system
  2. Identify FortiNAC version
    Use FortiNAC CLI or admin console to retrieve the installed version number
    Affected if Version is 7.2.0 through 7.2.1, or 9.4.0 through 9.4.3 (falls within < 7.2.2 or < 9.4.4)
  3. Verify inter-server communication port is configured
    Check FortiNAC network settings or configuration files for inter-server communication port status
    Affected if Inter-server communication port is enabled and listening
  4. Assess network exposure of inter-server port
    Review firewall rules and network ACLs to determine if the inter-server port is accessible from untrusted networks
    Affected if Inter-server communication port is exposed to untrusted network segments

User is affected if FortiNAC version is 7.2.0-7.2.1 or 9.4.0-9.4.3 AND the inter-server communication port is enabled and reachable.

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 7.2.2 / 9.4.4 or later
Fixed in 7.2.29.4.4
Interim mitigation

Apply the Fortinet patch for FortiNAC versions beyond 7.2.1 and 9.4.3. Additionally, restrict network access to inter-server communication ports to trusted systems only.

Recommended fix High confidence

FortiNAC 7.2.2 or 9.4.4

  1. 1. Identify the current FortiNAC version by navigating to System > Settings > General in the FortiNAC management interface.
  2. 2. For FortiNAC 7.2.x installations: Upgrade to version 7.2.2 or later.
  3. 3. For FortiNAC 9.4.x installations: Upgrade to version 9.4.4 or later.
  4. 4. Download the appropriate firmware from Fortinet's support portal (https://support.fortinet.com).
  5. 5. Back up the current FortiNAC configuration before applying the upgrade.
  6. 6. Upload and install the firmware upgrade through the FortiNAC management interface (System > Settings > Firmware) or via CLI.
  7. 7. After upgrade, verify the version matches the fixed release and test that the inter-server communication port functions normally.

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

Fix this in Fortinac Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
10.0 hours of engineering $1,720
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,752.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-33300 — 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-2023-33300 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