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FortitesterApplication · Fortinet

CVE-2023-40716

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-12-13
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
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 command line interpreter of FortiTester 2.3.0 through 7.2.3 may allow an authenticated attacker to execute unauthorized commands via specifically crafted arguments when running execute restore/backup .

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

Command injection vulnerability in FortiTester's execute restore/backup functionality allows authenticated attackers to inject OS commands through specially crafted arguments. The issue stems from improper neutralization of special elements in the command line interpreter, enabling arbitrary command execution in the context of the FortiTester application.

MitigationUpgrade FortiTester to version 7.2.4 or later (or the latest available patched version) to remediate this vulnerability. If immediate patching is not possible, restrict administrative access to trusted users only to reduce attack surface.

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:= 2.3.0= 2.4.0= 2.4.1= 2.5.0= 2.6.0= 2.7.0= 2.8.0= 2.9.0= 3.0.0= 3.1.0= 3.2.0= 3.3.0

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 FortiTester installation
    Locate FortiTester in your environment by checking for the application process or service named 'FortiTester' or through network inventory scans identifying the product
    Affected if FortiTester software is present in the environment
  2. Check installed FortiTester version
    Access the FortiTester administrative interface or CLI and retrieve the software version number (typically found in System > Settings or via 'get system status' command in CLI)
    Affected if The installed version matches one of the affected versions: 2.3.0, 2.4.0, 2.4.1, 2.5.0, 2.6.0, 2.7.0, 2.8.0, 2.9.0, 3.0.0, 3.1.0, 3.2.0, or 3.3.0
  3. Verify execute restore/backup functionality is accessible
    Check if the restore/backup feature is enabled in FortiTester (typically found under System > Maintenance > Restore or System > Maintenance > Backup) and accessible to user accounts
    Affected if The restore/backup functionality is available and exposed to authenticated users
  4. Review user authentication and access controls
    Examine the user accounts and authentication configuration in FortiTester to determine which users have access to the execute restore/backup feature
    Affected if Multiple authenticated users or untrusted accounts have access to the restore/backup functionality

You are affected if FortiTester is installed with a version between 2.3.0 and 3.3.0 inclusive and the restore/backup feature is accessible to authenticated users in your environment.

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
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Upgrade FortiTester to version 7.2.4 or later (or the latest available patched version) to remediate this vulnerability. If immediate patching is not possible, restrict administrative access to trusted users only to reduce attack surface.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

FortiTester 7.2.4 or later (any version beyond 7.2.3)

  1. 1. Identify the current FortiTester version by running: get system status
  2. 2. Download the fixed FortiTester version from Fortinet's official download portal at https://support.fortinet.com/
  3. 3. Plan maintenance window as upgrade will require system downtime
  4. 4. Back up current FortiTester configuration
  5. 5. Upload and install the fixed version via web UI or CLI: execute system firmware upgrade <image-file>
  6. 6. After upgrade, verify version: get system status
  7. 7. Confirm the execute restore/backup functionality works correctly with the fix
Caveat Upgrade requires downtime and should be tested in staging first; ensure compatibility with existing FortiGuard infrastructure

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

Fix this in Fortitester Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
10.0 hours of engineering $1,750
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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-2023-40716 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