Description
A critical vulnerability, identified as CVE-2024-23108, exists in the Fortinet FortiSIEM product, spanning multiple versions. This security flaw involves improper neutralization of special elements used in an operating system (OS) command, classifying it as an OS Command Injection vulnerability. By leveraging this weakness, an attacker can execute unauthorized commands or code on the targeted system using specifically crafted API requests. Given its CVSSv3 severity score of 9.8 (CRITICAL), this vulnerability poses significant risks to affected systems.
Affected Product(s)
Fortinet FortiSIEM versions impacted include:
- 4.0 through 6.4.2
- 5.0 through 6.5.2
- 6.0 through 6.6.3
- 7.0 through 6.7.8
- 0.0 through 7.0.2
- 1.0 through 7.1.1
Technical Details
The vulnerability in Fortinet’s FortiSIEM platform, as reported under CVE-2024-23108, is classified as an OS Command Injection flaw (CWE-78). FortiSIEM is a comprehensive security operations platform that integrates with other Fortinet products to provide monitoring, event correlation, and root cause analysis across complex IT environments. However, a critical oversight in input validation for API requests across certain versions of FortiSIEM has enabled this threat.
The vulnerability stems from improper neutralization of special elements used in OS commands. Specifically, crafted API requests can exploit the platform’s weak sanitization mechanisms within its supervisory components. The exploitation of this flaw allows unauthenticated, remote attackers to gain system-level access and execute arbitrary commands.
Key Details:
- **Root Cause of Vulnerability:** The FortiSIEM supervisor component handles incoming API requests for its Configuration Management Database (CMDB), which stores vast information about the IT environment’s assets, vulnerabilities, and events. However, a failure to sanitize inputs when processing API requests has made the supervisor susceptible to command injection.
- **Vulnerable Versions and Scope:** The issue affects FortiSIEM versions from 6.4.0 to 7.1.1 inclusively, spanning configurations released over several years. This makes a broad spectrum of deployments vulnerable, especially those that have not implemented updates or patches addressing the issue.
- **Exploitation Workflow:**
- An attacker crafts a specially-formatted API request designed to include OS-level commands.
- The FortiSIEM system, failing to correctly sanitize the inputs in the API, attempts to execute the malicious commands.
- As a result, the attacker achieves unauthorized system control.
- **Tools and Proof of Concept (PoC):** Publicly available PoC exploits have surfaced, which demonstrate step-by-step how the vulnerability can be leveraged. Discussions on platforms like GitHub contain detailed technical breakdowns and exploit scripts, increasing the threat of widespread exploitation.
- **Active Detection by Plugins:** Multiple plugins have been released targeting the detection of vulnerabilities associated with this issue. These include:
- Fortinet FortiSIEM Multiple OS Command Injection Vulnerabilities (FG-IR-23-130) – Version Check
- Fortinet FortiSIEM Remote Unauthenticated OS Command Injection (FG-IR-23-130)
These plugins rely on version enumeration to flag systems affected by CVE-2024-23108. They are often employed in environments running tools like Nessus for vulnerability management.
Threat Landscape:
Fortinet FortiSIEM’s presence in critical IT infrastructures makes this vulnerability particularly concerning. Threat actors can exploit this flaw for both lateral movement and command execution in environments ranging from enterprise data centers to cloud-based operations. The vulnerability has also gained traction in cybersecurity circles, with security blogs and threat intelligence hubs highlighting its potential risks. The public disclosure of exploit details has increased the urgency for affected organizations to address this issue promptly.
Weakness
This vulnerability is categorized under CWE-78, “Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command (‘OS Command Injection’).” The core weakness lies in the FortiSIEM API’s failure to validate and sanitize user input properly. The lack of robust input validation causes the platform to interpret malicious inputs as executable commands, essentially handing over unauthorized access to attackers.
Impact Assessment
If successfully exploited, this vulnerability can result in multiple security breaches, including but not limited to:
- Full remote execution of unauthorized OS commands, granting attackers administrative control over the system.
- Unauthorized access to sensitive data within the Configuration Management Database (CMDB).
- Disruption of monitoring and correlation workflows, paralyzing security operations.
- Potential infiltration into connected systems due to FortiSIEM’s role as a central monitoring hub. The impact of exploitation varies based on the deployment environment but could extend to complete control over critical IT infrastructures.
Active Exploitation
Emerging reports have indicated active exploitation of CVE-2024-23108. The following details have been observed:
- Multiple cybersecurity groups have analyzed and shared exploit mechanisms, including PoC exploits published online. These manuals and code repositories serve as a guide for attackers, lowering the difficulty of exploitation.
- References to this vulnerability have been spotted on platforms like Twitter, escalating concerns due to increased visibility among adversaries.
Links to the exploit deep-dive analysis and PoC confirm the likelihood of further attempts to exploit this vulnerability as organizations rush to update their systems.
Ransomware Association
While no direct connections to ransomware groups have been identified yet, vulnerabilities of this nature—enabling OS command execution—are frequently leveraged by ransomware operators during the initial stages of compromise. Such capabilities allow attackers to deploy malware payloads, encrypt data, and demand ransoms from victims. Organizations using vulnerable FortiSIEM versions should remain vigilant, as ransomware activity could potentially follow.
Mitigation and Resolution
Fortinet has released patches to resolve the issue. Customers are strongly urged to apply the latest updates to eliminate the vulnerability. Resolved versions include:
- FortiSIEM version 6.4.3 or higher
- FortiSIEM version 6.5.3 or higher
- FortiSIEM version 6.6.4 or higher
- FortiSIEM version 6.7.9 or higher
- FortiSIEM version 7.0.3 or higher
- FortiSIEM version 7.1.2 or higher
Administrators should prioritize patching and ensure systems with affected versions are updated to secure versions immediately.
Recommendations
- We strongly recommend applying the latest patch versions as soon as possible.
- Update FortiSIEM to version 7.1.2 or higher immediately to mitigate the vulnerabilities.
- Review and monitor access logs for suspicious API activity indicative of exploitation attempts.
- Apply additional network segmentation and firewalls to limit unauthorized access to FortiSIEM.
- Ensure that administrative interfaces of FortiSIEM are not exposed to the internet.
- Regularly audit security protocols and verify a secure configuration for API endpoints.
- Deploy security tools such as IDS/IPS to detect potential exploitation attempts.
- Refer to official vendor announcements and advisories for the latest guidance.
References