Overview
The cybersecurity world is facing a new threat in the form of a high-severity vulnerability. Identified as CVE-2024-48887, this vulnerability targets the GUI of Fortinet FortiSwitch, a widely utilized network security infrastructure product. This vulnerability could potentially allow a remote unauthenticated attacker to alter administrator passwords at will, providing them with unauthorized access to the system. Given the severity and potential consequences of unauthorized access, understanding and mitigating this threat is of critical importance for any organization utilizing Fortinet FortiSwitch.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2024-48887
Severity: Critical (9.8 CVSS score)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Impact: System compromise, potential data leakage
Affected Products
No phone number, email, or personal info required.
Product | Affected Versions
Fortinet FortiSwitch | All previous versions
How the Exploit Works
The exploit works by taking advantage of the lack of verification during the password change process in the Fortinet FortiSwitch GUI. An attacker can craft a request that mimics the normal password change process, but without the need for current password verification, effectively allowing the attacker to change the admin password. With the new password, the attacker can gain unauthorized access to the system and potentially compromise sensitive data or cause system disruption.
Conceptual Example Code
Below is a conceptual example of how the vulnerability might be exploited using a specially crafted HTTP request:
POST /api/v1/change_password HTTP/1.1
Host: target.example.com
Content-Type: application/json
{ "username": "admin", "new_password": "attacker_password" }In this example, an attacker sends a POST request to the change_password endpoint, specifying the administrator account (“admin”) and a new password chosen by the attacker (“attacker_password”). Because the FortiSwitch GUI doesn’t verify the current password before accepting the change, this request would effectively change the admin password, giving the attacker administrative access to the system.
Recommendations for Mitigation
The most effective mitigation for this vulnerability is to apply the vendor-provided patch. Fortinet has released an update that fixes this issue, and users are strongly encouraged to apply this update as soon as possible. In the meantime, or if immediate patching is not possible, using a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) can offer temporary mitigation. These systems can help identify and block potentially malicious requests, such as those used in this exploit. However, this is only a temporary solution, and updating the system should be the priority.