# CVE-2023-29178: Null dereference in FortiOS

> An authenticated attacker can crash the httpsd process via crafted requests, causing denial of service on Fortinet FortiProxy and FortiOS devices.

- **Severity:** Low 3.9 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L/E:P/RL:O/RC:C`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 13 Jun 2023
- **Updated:** 22 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-qpph-3p23-86wr

## What is CVE-2023-29178?

CVE-2023-29178 is a low-severity vulnerability in Fortinet Fortios, published on 13 Jun 2023. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

A access of uninitialized pointer vulnerability [CWE-824] vulnerability in Fortinet FortiOS 7.2.0 through 7.2.4, FortiOS 7.0.0 through 7.0.11, FortiOS 6.4 all versions, FortiOS 6.2 all versions, FortiOS 6.0 all versions, FortiProxy 7.2.0 through 7.2.3, FortiProxy 7.0.0 through 7.0.9, FortiProxy 2.0 all versions, FortiProxy 01.02 all versions, FortiProxy 1.2 all versions, FortiProxy 01.01 all versions, FortiProxy 1.1 all versions allows an authenticated attacker to repetitively crash the httpsd process via crafted HTTP or HTTPS requests.

Weakness: CWE-824 (Access of Uninitialized Pointer)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-29178?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Fortinet Fortios, Fortinet Fortiproxy.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-29178?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-29178 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2023-29178 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-29178 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## 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-2023-29178 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-29178 is a low-severity vulnerability in Fortinet Fortios, published on 13 Jun 2023. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-29178 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-2023-29178/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-29178/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-29178
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-29178
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-29178

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-29178/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.