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FortiosOperating system · Fortinet

CVE-2023-46718

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-10-14
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 7.2.12 / 7.4.2 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
A stack-based buffer overflow in Fortinet FortiOS version 7.4.0 through 7.4.1 and 7.2.0 through 7.2.7 and 7.0.0 through 7.0.12 and 6.4.6 through 6.4.15 and 6.2.9 through 6.2.16 and 6.0.13 through 6.0.18 allows attacker to execute unauthorized code or commands via specially crafted CLI 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

A stack-based buffer overflow in Fortinet FortiOS allows authenticated attackers to execute arbitrary code or commands via specially crafted CLI commands. The vulnerability stems from insufficient bounds checking when processing CLI input, enabling a stack-based overflow that can overwrite return addresses and facilitate code execution.

MitigationUpgrade FortiOS to the latest version. The description does not specify fixed versions; consult Fortinet's security advisory for the complete patch information. Limit CLI access to trusted personnel and monitor for suspicious CLI activity.

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:>= 6.0.13, <= 6.0.18>= 6.2.9, <= 6.2.17>= 6.4.6, <= 6.4.16>= 7.0.0, < 7.2.12>= 7.4.0, < 7.4.2
FortiproxyApplication
Affected:>= 7.0.0, < 7.4.8

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. Check FortiOS version
    Run 'get system status' in the FortiOS CLI or view the dashboard in FortiManager. Alternatively, check the Firmware version shown in the system information widget on the FortiOS web UI.
    Affected if The displayed version falls within these ranges: 6.0.13 to 6.0.18, 6.2.9 to 6.2.17, 6.4.6 to 6.4.16, 7.0.0 to 7.2.12, or 7.4.0 to 7.4.2.
  2. Check FortiProxy version (if deployed)
    For FortiProxy appliances, run 'get system status' in the CLI or check the web UI system information.
    Affected if The FortiProxy version is 7.0.0 or higher but lower than 7.4.8.
  3. Verify CLI access method is enabled
    Run 'show system interface' and review admin access settings. Check which interfaces have 'set admin-port' or 'set admin-ssh' enabled. Also run 'show system admin' to list admin accounts and their access methods.
    Affected if CLI access (SSH, telnet, or console) is enabled on any management or external interface.
  4. Review CLI command audit logs
    Run 'execute log filter category 1' to enable CLI event logging, then review logs with 'execute log filter view' or check the Log & Report > Event Log > CLI section in the web UI for unusually long or complex commands.
    Affected if Audit logs show CLI commands that are excessively long, contain repeated characters, or originate from unexpected sources.

You are affected if your FortiOS version is 6.0.13-6.0.18, 6.2.9-6.2.17, 6.4.6-6.4.16, 7.0.0-7.2.12, or 7.4.0-7.4.2 (or FortiProxy 7.0.0-7.4.8) AND CLI access is enabled for your administrators.

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 7.2.12 / 7.4.2 / 7.4.8 or later
Fixed in 7.2.127.4.27.4.8
Interim mitigation

Upgrade FortiOS to the latest version. The description does not specify fixed versions; consult Fortinet's security advisory for the complete patch information. Limit CLI access to trusted personnel and monitor for suspicious CLI activity.

Recommended fix High confidence

FortiOS 7.2.12+ or 7.4.2+ (or migrate to 7.0.13+); FortiProxy 7.4.8+

  1. 1. Identify the currently installed FortiOS or FortiProxy version using the CLI command 'get system status' or through the web UI under Dashboard > Status.
  2. 2. For FortiOS: If running 7.0.x, upgrade to FortiOS 7.0.13 or later (or 7.2.12+/7.4.2+). If running 7.2.x, upgrade to FortiOS 7.2.12 or later. If running 7.4.x, upgrade to FortiOS 7.4.2 or later. For 6.4.x and 6.2.x, upgrade to a version within the 7.x release train that is at or above the fixed versions.
  3. 3. For FortiProxy: Upgrade to FortiProxy 7.4.8 or later.
  4. 4. Download the appropriate firmware from https://support.fortinet.com/ and upload it via the FortiOS/FortiProxy web UI under System > Firmware, or via CLI using 'execute firmware upgrade' command.
  5. 5. After upgrade, verify the version using 'get system status' and confirm the vulnerability is resolved.
Caveat Review Fortinet release notes for your target version to check for configuration incompatibilities or deprecated features before upgrading; major version upgrades (e.g., 6.x to 7.x) may require configuration adjustments.

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-2023-46718 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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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
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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