dbcve.org
FortitesterApplication · Fortinet

CVE-2023-36642

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-09-13
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 7.2.3 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
An improper neutralization of special elements used in an OS command vulnerability [CWE-78] in the management interface of FortiTester 3.0.0 through 7.2.3 may allow an authenticated attacker to execute unauthorized commands via specifically crafted arguments to existing 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

This is an OS command injection vulnerability (CWE-78) in FortiTester's management interface. An authenticated attacker can execute unauthorized operating system commands by supplying specially crafted arguments to existing commands, indicating insufficient input sanitization in command handlers.

MitigationUpgrade FortiTester to version 7.2.4 or later to patch this vulnerability. As a compensating control, restrict management interface access to trusted administrators only until patching is completed.

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
FortitesterApplication
Affected:>= 3.0.0, <= 7.2.3

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 FortiTester installation
    Check if FortiTester software is installed on the system. This may be visible in installed programs list, running services, or by querying the system for FortiTester-related processes or directories.
    Affected if FortiTester is present on the system
  2. Determine FortiTester version
    Locate the installed FortiTester version number. This is typically found in the software itself, often via the management GUI, CLI show command, or system information pages within the FortiTester interface.
    Affected if The installed version falls within >= 3.0.0 and <= 7.2.3
  3. Verify management interface accessibility
    Determine if the FortiTester management interface (web UI or CLI management port) is accessible from the network. Check networkACL rules, firewall policies, or interface bindings.
    Affected if The management interface is reachable from untrusted networks or attacker-accessible segments
  4. Confirm authentication exposure
    Assess whether the management interface authentication mechanism is exposed to untrusted users. Review user accounts and access controls applied to the management interface.
    Affected if Untrusted or unauthorized users can authenticate to the FortiTester management interface

A system is affected if it runs FortiTester version 3.0.0 through 7.2.3 AND has its management interface accessible to the attacker.

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 7.2.3
Interim mitigation

Upgrade FortiTester to version 7.2.4 or later to patch this vulnerability. As a compensating control, restrict management interface access to trusted administrators only until patching is completed.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

FortiTester 7.2.4 or later (refer to FortiGuard for exact fixed release)

  1. 1. Identify the current FortiTester version installed in your environment
  2. 2. Review FortiGuard advisories (https://www.fortiguard.com/psirt) for the specific fixed release version of FortiTester that addresses CVE-2023-36642
  3. 3. Plan upgrade during a maintenance window as FortiTester requires downtime for version upgrades
  4. 4. Backup current FortiTester configuration before initiating the upgrade
  5. 5. Download the patched FortiTester version from Fortinet's support portal (https://support.fortinet.com)
  6. 6. Upgrade FortiTester to the fixed version (typically 7.2.4 or later)
  7. 7. Verify the upgrade completed successfully and the management interface is accessible
  8. 8. Validate that the vulnerability is remediated by reviewing the fixed version release notes
Caveat Review release notes for potential configuration or feature changes between 7.2.x and the target fixed version; test in non-production environment first

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

Fix this in Fortitester Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA3.0 h
15.0 hours of engineering $2,600
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,160.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-36642 — 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-2023-36642 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