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FortiosOperating system · Fortinet

CVE-2023-41678

HIGH · 8.8 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 →
94/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable 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 double free in Fortinet FortiOS versions 7.0.0 through 7.0.5, FortiPAM version 1.0.0 through 1.0.3, 1.1.0 through 1.1.1 allows attacker to execute unauthorized code or commands via specifically crafted request.

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

A double-free memory corruption vulnerability in FortiOS 7.0.0-7.0.5 and FortiPAM 1.0.0-1.1.1 allows remote attackers to achieve code execution by sending specially crafted requests that trigger the double-free condition in memory management.

MitigationApply vendor-supplied firmware updates (FortiOS 7.0.6+ and FortiPAM 1.0.4/1.2.0+) to patch the double-free vulnerability; prior to deployment, validate the update in a non-production environment to ensure compatibility.

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
FortiosOperating system
Affected:= 7.0.0= 7.0.1= 7.0.2= 7.0.3= 7.0.4= 7.0.5
FortipamOperating system
Affected:= 1.0.0= 1.0.1= 1.0.2= 1.0.3= 1.1.0= 1.1.1

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

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/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 FortiOS version
    Run 'get system status' via CLI or check System > Firmware in the web UI to view the installed FortiOS version
    Affected if Version is 7.0.0, 7.0.1, 7.0.2, 7.0.3, 7.0.4, or 7.0.5
  2. Identify FortiPAM version
    Run 'get system status' in FortiPAM CLI or check the dashboard for the firmware version
    Affected if Version is 1.0.0, 1.0.1, 1.0.2, 1.0.3, 1.1.0, or 1.1.1
  3. Verify management interface exposure
    Review firewall policies and interface settings to determine if the FortiOS or FortiPAM management interface (port1 or dedicated management port) is reachable from untrusted networks
    Affected if Management interface is exposed to the internet or untrusted LAN segments
  4. Check for remote access services
    Review enabled services under System > Feature Visibility and check SSL-VPN, IPsec VPN, or administrative SSH/HTTPS access configurations
    Affected if SSL-VPN, IPsec VPN, or remote administrative access is enabled and reachable from external networks

Your environment is affected if either FortiOS version 7.0.0-7.0.5 or FortiPAM version 1.0.0-1.1.1 is installed AND the management or remote access interface is exposed to untrusted networks.

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

Apply vendor-supplied firmware updates (FortiOS 7.0.6+ and FortiPAM 1.0.4/1.2.0+) to patch the double-free vulnerability; prior to deployment, validate the update in a non-production environment to ensure compatibility.

Recommended fix High confidence

FortiOS: upgrade to 7.0.6 or later (recommended: latest 7.0.x stable). FortiPAM: upgrade to 1.0.4+ (1.0.x line) or 1.1.2+ (1.1.x line)

  1. 1. Identify the exact FortiOS version currently installed on the Fortinet device using 'get system status' or through the web UI under Dashboard > Status
  2. 2. Identify the exact FortiPAM version currently installed
  3. 3. For FortiOS: Upgrade to version 7.0.6 or later (7.0.5 is also vulnerable per the official description)
  4. 4. For FortiPAM: If running 1.0.x, upgrade to version 1.0.4 or later. If running 1.1.x, upgrade to version 1.1.2 or later
  5. 5. Before upgrading, backup the current configuration using 'execute backup full-config'
  6. 6. Schedule a maintenance window as upgrades may require reboot
  7. 7. Perform the upgrade via FortiManager or directly via the device CLI/web UI
  8. 8. After upgrade, verify the new version is installed and confirm the vulnerability is resolved
Caveat Review Fortinet release notes for 7.0.6+ and relevant FortiPAM versions for any configuration or feature changes that may affect existing deployments

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

Fix this in Fortios 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-2023-41678 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