CVE-2017-14184 in FortiClient
Summary
by MITRE
An Information Disclosure vulnerability in Fortinet FortiClient for Windows 5.6.0 and below versions, FortiClient for Mac OSX 5.6.0 and below versions and FortiClient SSLVPN Client for Linux 4.4.2334 and below versions allows regular users to see each other's VPN authentication credentials due to improperly secured storage locations.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/27/2021
The vulnerability described in CVE-2017-14184 represents a critical information disclosure flaw affecting multiple Fortinet FortiClient implementations across Windows, macOS, and Linux platforms. This security weakness specifically targets the authentication credential storage mechanisms within the FortiClient software, creating an environment where regular users can potentially access sensitive information belonging to other users on the same system. The vulnerability impacts versions 5.6.0 and below for Windows and macOS platforms, as well as Linux versions 4.4.2334 and below, indicating a widespread issue affecting the core authentication functionality of these network security clients.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from improper securing of storage locations where VPN authentication credentials are persisted on the local system. When users establish VPN connections through FortiClient, their authentication tokens, usernames, and potentially password information are stored in local directories or configuration files that lack appropriate access controls or encryption mechanisms. This misconfiguration allows any regular user account on the system to access these credential storage locations, effectively bypassing the intended security boundaries between different user sessions. The flaw operates at the file system level where sensitive data is written without proper permissions or encryption, creating a direct path for privilege escalation through information disclosure.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risk for organizations deploying FortiClient across their network infrastructure. Regular users who might not have elevated privileges can exploit this weakness to obtain authentication credentials from other users, potentially enabling unauthorized access to corporate networks, internal resources, and sensitive data repositories. The impact extends beyond simple credential theft as it can facilitate lateral movement within networks, allowing attackers to establish persistent access points and escalate privileges through compromised user accounts. This vulnerability particularly affects environments where multiple users share the same physical or virtual machines, or where users have legitimate access to shared systems but should not be able to view each other's network authentication details.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigation strategies including upgrading to patched versions of FortiClient where available, implementing additional access controls on credential storage directories, and conducting comprehensive security audits of all systems running vulnerable FortiClient versions. The remediation process should include verifying that authentication credentials are stored with appropriate file system permissions and encryption mechanisms, ensuring that only authorized processes can access these sensitive data stores. Security teams should also consider implementing monitoring solutions to detect unauthorized access attempts to credential storage locations and establish incident response procedures for potential credential exposure events.
This vulnerability aligns with several cybersecurity frameworks and threat modeling concepts, including CWE-312 (Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information) and CWE-284 (Improper Access Control) which directly address the insecure storage and access control failures present in the affected FortiClient implementations. The attack pattern described maps to ATT&CK technique T1078 (Valid Accounts) and T1552 (Unsecured Credentials) where adversaries exploit weak credential storage mechanisms to gain unauthorized access to network resources. The vulnerability demonstrates how seemingly minor implementation flaws in security software can create significant attack vectors that compromise the integrity of entire network access control systems.