Quantum Secular Labs / Blog / Advisories

CVE-2024-55591: Fortinet FortiOS and FortiProxy Authentication Bypass Vulnerability

CVE-2024-55591 is rated critical with a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.8 and affects Fortinet FortiOS and FortiProxy. Per its scoring, it can be exploited over the network, without authentication, without any user interaction. The scored impact on confidentiality, integrity and availability is the highest available. CISA added it to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2025-01-14, which means exploitation in the wild has been observed.

Vulnerability description

An Authentication Bypass Using an Alternate Path or Channel vulnerability [CWE-288] affecting FortiOS version 7.0.0 through 7.0.16 and FortiProxy version 7.0.0 through 7.0.19 and 7.2.0 through 7.2.12 allows a remote attacker to gain super-admin privileges via crafted requests to Node.js websocket module.

Severity breakdown

CVSS v3.1 9.8: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

  • Attack vector: Network. Exploitable remotely over the network, with no need for local or physical access.
  • Attack complexity: Low. No special conditions; the attack can be repeated reliably.
  • Privileges required: None. No account or prior access is needed.
  • User interaction: None. No action from any user is needed.
  • Scope: Unchanged. Impact stays within the vulnerable component.
  • Confidentiality impact: High. Total loss of confidentiality; sensitive data can be fully disclosed.
  • Integrity impact: High. Total loss of integrity; data or system state can be fully modified.
  • Availability impact: High. Total loss of availability; the component can be shut down.

Underlying weakness

CWE-288: Authentication Bypass Using an Alternate Path or Channel

The product requires authentication, but the product has an alternate path or channel that does not require authentication.

Affected products

  • Fortinet Fortiproxy: from 7.0.0 before 7.0.20; from 7.2.0 before 7.2.13
  • Fortinet Fortios: from 7.0.0 before 7.0.17

References