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FortisandboxApplication · Fortinet

CVE-2023-41844

MEDIUM · 5.4 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-12-13
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 4.2.5 or later.
See remediation →
58/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Remotely reachable

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 input during web page generation ('cross-site scripting') vulnerability in Fortinet FortiSandbox 4.4.0 through 4.4.2, FortiSandbox 4.2 all versions, FortiSandbox 4.0 all versions, FortiSandbox 3.2 all versions, FortiSandbox 3.1 all versions, FortiSandbox 3.0.4 and above allows attacker to execute unauthorized code or commands via crafted HTTP requests in capture traffic endpoint.

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

FortiSandbox contains a stored cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in its capture traffic endpoint. Attackers can inject malicious JavaScript or HTML via crafted HTTP requests that are later rendered without proper sanitization, allowing execution of unauthorized code in the context of other users' sessions.

MitigationApply the vendor patch from Fortinet (addressed in FortiSandbox 4.4.3 and later versions) and implement input validation on the capture traffic endpoint to neutralize script payloads.

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
FortisandboxApplication
Affected:>= 3.0.0, <= 3.0.7>= 3.1.0, <= 3.1.5>= 3.2.0, <= 3.2.4>= 4.0.0, <= 4.0.4>= 4.2.0, <= 4.2.5= 4.4.0= 4.4.1= 4.4.2

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
Required
Scope
Changed
Confidentiality
Low
Integrity
Low
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/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. Identify FortiSandbox installed version
    Log into the FortiSandbox CLI and run 'get system status' or access the web GUI dashboard to view the firmware version
    Affected if The displayed version falls within 3.0.0-3.0.7, 3.1.0-3.1.5, 3.2.0-3.2.4, 4.0.0-4.0.4, 4.2.0-4.2.5, or 4.4.0-4.4.2
  2. Confirm capture traffic feature is in use
    Check if the capture traffic functionality is enabled on the system via the web GUI under Network > Capture Traffic or via CLI command 'show system capture-traffic'
    Affected if The capture traffic feature is enabled and accessible to users or administrators
  3. Review access logs for capture traffic endpoint
    Inspect HTTP access logs or web server logs for requests to the capture traffic endpoint, looking for unusual script tags or JavaScript payloads in the request parameters
    Affected if Suspicious patterns such as <script>, javascript:, or event handlers like onload/onerror appear in logged requests to the capture traffic endpoint
  4. Examine captured traffic data for stored XSS
    If you have access to the captured traffic storage or database, search for any stored entries containing HTML script tags or encoded JavaScript that were not sanitized before storage
    Affected if Any captured traffic records contain unsanitized HTML or script content that could execute in another user's session

A user is affected if their FortiSandbox version matches one of the affected ranges listed above AND the capture traffic feature is enabled, exposing the system to stored XSS injection via crafted HTTP requests.

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 4.2.5
Interim mitigation

Apply the vendor patch from Fortinet (addressed in FortiSandbox 4.4.3 and later versions) and implement input validation on the capture traffic endpoint to neutralize script payloads.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

FortiSandbox 4.4.3 or later (or latest available version for your respective branch: 3.0.8+, 3.1.6+, 3.2.5+, 4.0.5+, 4.2.1+)

  1. 1. Identify the current FortiSandbox version by navigating to Dashboard > Status in the web UI or using 'get system status' in the CLI
  2. 2. Based on the affected version ranges, determine the minimum safe version: For 3.0.x branch use >=3.0.8, for 3.1.x use >=3.1.6, for 3.2.x use >=3.2.5, for 4.0.x use >=4.0.5, for 4.2.x use >=4.2.1, for 4.4.x use >=4.4.3
  3. 3. Download the appropriate firmware upgrade from Fortinet Customer Support Portal (https://support.fortinet.com)
  4. 4. Back up the FortiSandbox configuration via System > Maintenance > Backup & Restore
  5. 5. Upload and install the new firmware via System > Maintenance > Firmware
  6. 6. After upgrade, verify the system status and confirm the vulnerability is remediated
  7. 7. Alternatively, contact Fortinet PSIRT for official patch information if specific version guidance is required
Caveat Review Fortinet release notes for your upgrade path as minor version jumps may introduce new features or configuration changes requiring testing

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

Fix this in Fortisandbox Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing5.0 h
  • Review / QA3.0 h
17.0 hours of engineering $2,970
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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-2023-41844 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