CVE-2023-41675 : What You Need to Know

A detailed overview of CVE-2023-41675 highlighting the vulnerability, impact, technical details, and mitigation steps.

Understanding CVE-2023-41675

This section provides insight into the vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-41675 and its implications.

What is CVE-2023-41675?

CVE-2023-41675 is a use after free vulnerability (CWE-416) discovered in FortiOS versions 7.2.0 through 7.2.4 and 7.0.0 through 7.0.10, as well as FortiProxy versions 7.2.0 through 7.2.2 and 7.0.0 through 7.0.8. This vulnerability could allow an unauthenticated remote attacker to crash the WAD process by exploiting crafted packets.

The Impact of CVE-2023-41675

The vulnerability poses a risk of crashing the WAD process via malicious packets, potentially affecting systems running the impacted FortiOS and FortiProxy versions. Attackers could leverage this flaw to disrupt operations and potentially execute unauthorized code or commands.

Technical Details of CVE-2023-41675

Delving into the specifics of the vulnerability, affected systems, and the exploitation mechanism.

Vulnerability Description

The use after free vulnerability in FortiOS and FortiProxy versions could be exploited by an unauthenticated remote attacker to crash the WAD process through crafted packets navigating proxy or firewall policies.

Affected Systems and Versions

FortiOS versions 7.2.0 to 7.2.4, 7.0.0 to 7.0.10, and FortiProxy versions 7.2.0 to 7.2.2, 7.0.0 to 7.0.8 are susceptible to this vulnerability.

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability allows attackers to utilize multiple crafted packets to disrupt the WAD process in systems with proxy policies or firewall policies using SSL deep packet inspection.

Mitigation and Prevention

Exploring the necessary steps to mitigate the CVE-2023-41675 vulnerability and prevent potential exploitation.

Immediate Steps to Take

Users are advised to upgrade to FortiOS version 7.4.0 or above, FortiOS version 7.2.5 or above, FortiOS version 7.0.11 or above, FortiProxy version 7.2.3 or above, and FortiProxy version 7.0.9 or above as recommended solutions. FortiSASE is no longer impacted by this vulnerability, as the issue was resolved in Q2/23.

Long-Term Security Practices

Incorporating regular patch management, security updates, and system monitoring can enhance the overall security posture and minimize the risk of similar vulnerabilities in the future.

Patching and Updates

Regularly applying security patches provided by Fortinet for affected versions is crucial to address known vulnerabilities and enhance the resilience of the FortiOS and FortiProxy systems.