CVE-2015-7363 in FortiManager
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the advanced settings page in Fortinet FortiManager 5.x before 5.0.12 and 5.2.x before 5.2.3, in hardware models with a hard disk, and FortiAnalyzer 5.x before 5.0.13 and 5.2.x before 5.2.3 allows remote administrators to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via vectors related to report filters.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/22/2022
The CVE-2015-7363 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting Fortinet FortiManager and FortiAnalyzer products across multiple version ranges. This vulnerability specifically targets the advanced settings page functionality where report filters are configured, creating an attack surface that enables remote administrators to execute malicious web scripts or HTML code. The vulnerability impacts hardware models equipped with hard disk storage, making it particularly concerning for organizations relying on these security appliances for network monitoring and management.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the report filter functionality of Fortinet's security appliances. When administrators configure report filters through the advanced settings page, the application fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input before rendering it in the web interface. This insufficient sanitization allows attackers to inject malicious scripts that execute in the context of other administrators' browser sessions, potentially leading to session hijacking, privilege escalation, or data exfiltration. The vulnerability manifests as a classic XSS attack vector where the malicious input is stored and later executed when other administrators view the affected report filters.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it fundamentally compromises the integrity of the administrative interface and the security posture of the network infrastructure. Remote attackers who can access the FortiManager or FortiAnalyzer administrative interfaces can leverage this vulnerability to gain unauthorized access to sensitive network configurations, view confidential reports, and potentially escalate privileges within the security appliance. The risk is amplified because the vulnerability affects administrative functions, meaning that successful exploitation could allow attackers to manipulate security policies, modify network configurations, or access detailed network monitoring data that would otherwise be restricted to authorized personnel only.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided patches for FortiManager versions 5.0.12 and 5.2.3, and FortiAnalyzer versions 5.0.13 and 5.2.3 respectively. Network segmentation and access controls should be strengthened to limit administrative access to these appliances, while implementing additional monitoring for suspicious administrative activities. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which categorizes cross-site scripting flaws, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for scripting languages and T1566.001 for spearphishing via web applications, emphasizing the need for comprehensive defensive measures. Security teams should also conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify any other potential XSS vulnerabilities in similar administrative interfaces and ensure proper input validation and output encoding practices are implemented throughout the application codebase.