CVE-2017-3133 Scanner

Fortinet FortiOS is a proprietary operating system used by Fortinet in its hardware and software products. It is predominantly used by businesses and organizations for network security purposes, such as managing firewalls, VPN, antivirus, and intrusion prevention. The system is particularly popular among enterprises for its robust security features and manages secure network deployments. Security administrators and IT professionals utilize FortiOS to safeguard their network infrastructure from external threats and maintain secure access protocols. It provides various functionalities, including advanced routing and application control, making it versatile for different network environments. Being robust and feature-rich, FortiOS is instrumental in maintaining the security posture of diverse IT setups.

A Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability typically allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users. In the case of Fortinet FortiOS, this vulnerability is present in versions 5.6.0 and earlier, specifically leveraging the Replacement Message HTML for SSL-VPN. By exploiting this, attackers can execute unauthorized scripts which can execute in the user’s browser. This type of vulnerability can lead to unauthorized actions being performed by a user's account without their knowledge. It’s a significant security concern as it can lead to credential theft, session hijacking, or defacement of web applications. Being a client-side code execution issue, XSS vulnerabilities are critical to address in any web-based interface.

The technical details of this XSS vulnerability involve the manipulation of the Replacement Message HTML for SSL-VPN in FortiOS. An attacker can craft a malicious POST request targeting the vulnerable endpoint to embed JavaScript code. This involves sending properly formatted data that the web application inadvertently executes. The absence of adequate input validation allows attackers to insert harmful script segments. The vulnerable parameters can be the message formats in the SSL-VPN which then reflect the injected content back to the user, leading to script execution. Successful exploitation generally requires an unsuspecting user to be tricked into visiting a specially crafted web page or link.

If this vulnerability is exploited by malicious users, it can result in the compromise of sensitive information such as session tokens and other cookies. It could facilitate phishing attacks where users are tricked into providing confidential data under the guise of a legitimate interface. In some cases, it could allow attackers to gain unauthorized control over a victim's browsing session, performing unauthorized actions on their behalf. Furthermore, it might lead to the capture and modification of web content displayed to users, leading to misleading or harmful information dissemination. Ultimately, the exploitation of this XSS vulnerability can severely compromise network security as well as user trust and privacy.

REFERENCES

• https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/42388
• https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-3133