FortianalyzerApplication · Fortinet
CVE-2023-41842
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 · uneditedA use of externally-controlled format string vulnerability [CWE-134] vulnerability in Fortinet allows a privileged attacker to execute unauthorized code or commands via specially crafted command arguments.
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 confidenceA format string vulnerability (CWE-134) in Fortinet products allows an authenticated attacker with privileged access to execute arbitrary code or commands by providing specially crafted arguments to specific functions. The vulnerability stems from user-supplied input being used as a format string parameter without proper sanitization.
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
FortianalyzerApplication
>= 6.2.0, < 7.0.10>= 7.2.0, < 7.2.4>= 7.4.0, < 7.4.2
Fortianalyzer Big DataApplication
>= 6.4.5, <= 6.4.7>= 7.0.1, <= 7.0.6>= 7.2.0, < 7.2.6= 6.2.5
FortimanagerApplication
>= 6.2.0, < 7.0.10>= 7.2.0, < 7.2.4>= 7.4.0, < 7.4.2
FortiportalApplication
>= 5.3.0, < 6.0.15CVSS 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
- High
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify installed Fortinet product and versionRun 'get system status' or 'execute get system status' command via CLI, or check the Fortinet support portal for the installed firmware versionAffected if The product is Fortianalyzer, Fortianalyzer Big Data, Fortimanager, or Fortiportal and the version falls within the affected ranges: Fortianalyzer >= 6.2.0 and < 7.0.10, or >= 7.2.0 and < 7.2.4, or >= 7.4.0 and < 7.4.2; Fortianalyzer Big Data 6.2.5, >= 6.4.5 and <= 6.4.7, >= 7.0.1 and <= 7.0.6, or >
-
Verify privileged user access existsCheck user account configuration with 'get system admin user' command and review whether any privileged accounts (with super_admin or profile access) are present or if remote authentication (RADIUS, LDAP) is configured that could provide privileged accessAffected if Any privileged administrative accounts exist or are configured via external authentication
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Confirm management interface exposureReview network configuration with 'get system interface' and check if the management interface (HTTP/HTTPS/SSH) is exposed to untrusted networks rather than limited to internal networksAffected if The management interface (port1 or dedicated mgmt interface) is reachable from networks beyond the trusted internal network
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Review logs for format string error patternsSearch system logs using 'execute log filter' or review /var/log/ for entries containing format string related errors, unexpected string interpolation, or crashes in functions that handle user-supplied argumentsAffected if Logs contain format string errors or unexpected behavior in functions processing user input
You are affected if you run Fortianalyzer, Fortianalyzer Big Data, Fortimanager, or Fortiportal with a version within the affected ranges and have privileged administrative accounts that can access the management interface.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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 · scoped6.0.157.0.107.2.4
Apply the vendor-released security patch or upgrade to a Fortinet firmware version that addresses CVE-2023-41842. Follow Fortinet's change management procedures and verify system functionality after patching.
Fortianalyzer/Fortimanager: 7.0.10, 7.2.4, or 7.4.2 (and later); Fortianalyzer Big Data: 7.2.6+; Fortiportal: 6.0.15+
- 1. Identify the affected Fortinet product (Fortianalyzer, Fortianalyzer Big Data, Fortimanager, or Fortiportal) currently deployed
- 2. Determine the current installed version using the CLI command: 'get system status' or via the web UI under System > Firmware
- 3. For Fortianalyzer: Upgrade to version 7.0.10, 7.2.4, or 7.4.2 (or later) depending on your major version branch
- 4. For Fortianalyzer Big Data: Upgrade to version 7.2.6 or later
- 5. For Fortimanager: Upgrade to version 7.0.10, 7.2.4, or 7.4.2 (or later) depending on your major version branch
- 6. For Fortiportal: Upgrade to version 6.0.15 or later
- 7. Download the appropriate firmware from Fortinet Customer Support portal (https://support.fortinet.com)
- 8. Upload and install the firmware via the web UI (System > Firmware) or CLI: 'execute restore image'
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
Fix this in Fortianalyzer
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,808.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-41842 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2023-41842 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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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.
- 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
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