Fortinet has issued a security alert regarding a critical vulnerability affecting its FortiOS Security Fabric platform, a key solution in enterprise network security management. Identified as CVE-2024-40591, this flaw has a score of 8.0 on the CVSSv3 system, categorizing it as a high risk that must be addressed immediately.
Vulnerability Details
The security breach lies in improper privilege management, allowing a standard-privileged authenticated administrator to escalate their access level to super administrator without restrictions.
This critical access level grants full control over the security infrastructure, potentially leading to configuration manipulation, disabling of protections, and leaking of sensitive data.
Affected FortiOS Versions
The issue affects several versions of FortiOS, including:
🔸 FortiOS 7.6.0
🔸 FortiOS 7.4.0 – 7.4.4
🔸 FortiOS 7.2.0 – 7.2.9
🔸 FortiOS 7.0.0 – 7.0.15
🔸 FortiOS 6.4 (all versions; migration to an updated version is recommended)
To mitigate the risk, Fortinet has released security patches for the 7.6.1, 7.4.5, 7.2.10, and 7.0.16 versions. FortiOS 6.4 users are advised to migrate to a more recent version that includes the necessary fixes.
Possible Exploitation Scenarios
If an attacker gains control of an upstream FortiGate device, they could exploit this vulnerability to:
✅ Modify security policies to facilitate unauthorized access.
✅ Disable key protections, exposing the network to attacks.
✅ Access sensitive data and perform lateral movements within the infrastructure.
✅ Execute changes in configuration, compromising the integrity of the system.
Recommended Mitigation Measures
🔹 Immediately update to the patched versions.
🔹 Migrate from FortiOS 6.4 to a fixed version.
🔹 Review user and administrator privileges within the network.
🔹 Monitor for unexpected changes in configuration of FortiGate devices.
🔹 Implement network segmentation measures to limit impact in case of exploitation.
The Importance of Security Audits
This vulnerability was discovered internally by Justin Lum, a researcher on Fortinet’s R&D team. Its detection underscores the necessity of conducting constant security audits within companies, as these flaws can be exploited by cybercriminals if not addressed in time.
Jim Routh, Chief Trust Officer of Saviynt, emphasized the significance of this finding, stating:
“Superadministrator access is the biggest target for threat actors. Early detection and timely patches are key to preventing large-scale security breaches.”
Conclusion
FortiOS Security Fabric is a fundamental component in protecting enterprise networks, but this vulnerability demonstrates that no system is infallible. Organizations relying on FortiOS must immediately update their systems to prevent cybercriminals from exploiting this security flaw.
In the face of an increasingly sophisticated threat landscape, proactive vulnerability management becomes an essential pillar to ensure cybersecurityCybersecurity solutions are essential in the modern era in corporate environments.
Source: Security News.