# CVE-2017-14187: Privilege escalation in FortiOS

> Local attackers can execute unauthorized code and escalate privileges by linking a USB binary to an allowed fnsysctl command on FortiGate devices.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.2 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:P/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** An administrator
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 24 May 2018
- **Updated:** 25 Oct 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-vhrf-7c9m-v558

## What is CVE-2017-14187?

CVE-2017-14187 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Fortinet Fortios, published on 24 May 2018. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

A local privilege escalation and local code execution vulnerability in Fortinet FortiOS 5.6.0 to 5.6.2, 5.4.0 to 5.4.8, and 5.2 and below versions allows attacker to execute unauthorized binary program contained on an USB drive plugged into a FortiGate via linking the aforementioned binary program to a command that is allowed to be run by the fnsysctl CLI command.

Weakness: CWE-269 (Improper Privilege Management)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2017-14187?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Fortinet Fortios.

## How do I fix CVE-2017-14187?

No fix has been published for CVE-2017-14187 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2017-14187 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2017-14187 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Public exploit code:

- LPE for FortiOS 5.6.0 to 5.6.2, 5.4.0 to 5.4.8, and below 5.2 (github_poc): https://github.com/0xSIGILL/CVE-2017-14187_PoC_ARMv7

## Other vulnerabilities in Fortinet Fortios

- [CVE-2024-23113](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-23113/): Fortinet Multiple Products Format String (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2022-40684](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-40684/): Fortinet Multiple Products Authentication Bypass (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2024-55591](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-55591/): Fortinet FortiOS and FortiProxy Authentication Bypass (critical 9.6, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2024-21762](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-21762/): Fortinet FortiOS Out-of-Bound Write (critical 9.6, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2022-42475](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-42475/): Fortinet FortiOS Heap-Based Buffer Overflow (critical 9.3, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2017-14187 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2017-14187 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Fortinet Fortios, published on 24 May 2018. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2017-14187 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Fortinet Fortios. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-14187/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-14187/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2017-14187
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-14187
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2017-14187

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-14187/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.