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FortideceptorApplication · Fortinet

CVE-2024-35280

MEDIUM · 6.1 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-01-15
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 5.2.1 or later.
See remediation →
68/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Remotely reachable No privileges

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 FortiDeceptor 5.3.0, FortiDeceptor 5.2.0, FortiDeceptor 5.1 all versions, FortiDeceptor 5.0 all versions, FortiDeceptor 4.3 all versions, FortiDeceptor 4.2 all versions, FortiDeceptor 4.1 all versions, FortiDeceptor 4.0 all versions, FortiDeceptor 3.3 all versions, FortiDeceptor 3.2 all versions, FortiDeceptor 3.1 all versions, FortiDeceptor 3.0 all versions may allow an attacker to perform a reflected cross-site scripting attack in the recovery endpoints

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 reflected cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability exists in FortiDeceptor's recovery endpoints. The vulnerability stems from improper neutralization of user-supplied input during web page generation, allowing attackers to inject malicious scripts that execute in victim browsers when they interact with specially crafted URLs.

MitigationApply vendor-supplied patches for FortiDeceptor or upgrade to a patched version. Until patches are applied, sanitize all user input in recovery endpoints and implement Content Security Policy headers to mitigate XSS risks.

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
FortideceptorApplication
Affected:>= 3.0.0, < 5.2.1= 5.3.0

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
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
Required
Scope
Changed
Confidentiality
Low
Integrity
Low
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/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. Check FortiDeceptor firmware version
    Access the FortiDeceptor CLI and run the command 'get system status' or 'fnsysctl get system version' to retrieve the installed firmware version. Alternatively, check via the web GUI by logging in and viewing the system dashboard or firmware information page.
    Affected if The installed version is 3.0.0 through 5.2.0 inclusive, or exactly version 5.3.0.
  2. Verify web interface is enabled
    In the FortiDeceptor CLI, run 'get system interface' or check the web interface access configuration to confirm that the management web GUI or HTTP/HTTPS access is enabled on any interface.
    Affected if The web interface is accessible, as the XSS vulnerability exists in the recovery web endpoints.
  3. Identify exposed recovery endpoints
    From an external host, attempt to access common recovery paths such as '/recovery', '/recover', '/maintenance', or '/password-reset' via HTTP or HTTPS on the FortiDeceptor IP address. Use a web browser or curl to probe these endpoints.
    Affected if Any recovery endpoints are accessible over the network without authentication or with minimal auth, indicating the vulnerable code path may be reachable.
  4. Review access policy for recovery URLs
    In the FortiDeceptor web GUI or CLI, examine the firewall policy or explicit proxy configuration to determine if policies allow external access to the recovery endpoint URLs. Check for any policies with 'recovery' or 'maintenance' in the destination or service configuration.
    Affected if Policies permit unrestricted or unauthenticated access to recovery endpoints from untrusted networks.

If the FortiDeceptor version is 3.0.0-5.2.0 or 5.3.0 AND the web interface or recovery endpoints are network-accessible, the environment is affected by this reflected XSS vulnerability.

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 5.2.1 or later
Fixed in 5.2.1
Interim mitigation

Apply vendor-supplied patches for FortiDeceptor or upgrade to a patched version. Until patches are applied, sanitize all user input in recovery endpoints and implement Content Security Policy headers to mitigate XSS risks.

Recommended fix High confidence

FortiDeceptor 5.4.0 or later

  1. 1. Identify the current FortiDeceptor version via the web GUI (System > Settings > Firmware) or CLI: `get system status`
  2. 2. Download the fixed firmware version 5.4.0 or later from Fortinet Customer Support portal (https://support.fortinet.com)
  3. 3. Back up the FortiDeceptor configuration via GUI (System > Maintenance > Backup & Restore) or CLI: `execute backup full-config`
  4. 4. Upload and install the firmware upgrade via GUI (System > Settings > Firmware) or CLI: `execute system firmware-upgrade`
  5. 5. After upgrade, verify the version is no longer vulnerable (>= 5.4.0)
Caveat Review release notes for any configuration or feature changes between current version and 5.4.0 before upgrading

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

Fix this in Fortideceptor Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
11.0 hours of engineering $1,930
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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-2024-35280 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