CVE-2017-7343 in FortiPortal
Summary
by MITRE
An open redirect vulnerability in Fortinet FortiPortal 4.0.0 and below allows attacker to execute unauthorized code or commands via the url parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/03/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-7343 represents a critical open redirect flaw discovered in Fortinet FortiPortal versions 4.0.0 and earlier. This issue manifests within the authentication and redirection mechanisms of the FortiPortal web interface, where the system fails to properly validate user-supplied URL parameters before executing redirects. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input sanitization and validation processes that allow malicious actors to manipulate the url parameter to redirect users to arbitrary external domains or execute unauthorized commands within the context of the vulnerable application.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of the url parameter in FortiPortal's authentication flows, where attackers can craft malicious URLs that bypass normal access controls and redirect legitimate users to phishing sites or malicious endpoints. This open redirect condition creates a pathway for attackers to perform various malicious activities including credential harvesting, session hijacking, and social engineering attacks that leverage the trust users place in the legitimate FortiPortal interface. The vulnerability specifically affects the web-based administrative console and user authentication modules, where the redirect functionality is improperly implemented without adequate validation of destination URLs.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability enables attackers to conduct sophisticated phishing campaigns by redirecting authenticated users to malicious sites that appear legitimate due to the trusted FortiPortal domain. The attack vector allows for the execution of unauthorized code or commands through the manipulation of the url parameter, potentially leading to complete compromise of the affected system and its associated network resources. Network administrators and security personnel face significant risk as this vulnerability can be exploited to gain unauthorized access to sensitive administrative functions, potentially resulting in data breaches, privilege escalation, and persistent access to the protected network environment.
Organizations utilizing affected FortiPortal versions should immediately implement mitigation strategies including patching to the latest available firmware releases that address the input validation issues in the redirect functionality. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-601 open redirect weakness classification and maps to attack techniques in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under T1566 phishing and T1071 application layer protocol categories. Security controls should focus on implementing strict URL validation, disabling unnecessary redirect functionality, and monitoring for suspicious redirect patterns in web application logs. Network segmentation and additional authentication layers should be considered as defensive measures while awaiting official patches from Fortinet, as the vulnerability creates a direct pathway for attackers to bypass security controls and potentially escalate privileges within the network infrastructure.