# CVE-2023-36639: Code injection in FortiOS

> Attackers can execute unauthorized code or commands via crafted API requests due to a format string vulnerability in Fortinet products.

- **Severity:** High 7.0 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:F/RL:U/RC:C`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** An administrator
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 13 Dec 2023
- **Updated:** 2 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-rhfj-295m-9hhj

## What is CVE-2023-36639?

CVE-2023-36639 is a high-severity code injection vulnerability in Fortinet Fortios, published on 13 Dec 2023. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

A use of externally-controlled format string in Fortinet FortiProxy versions 7.2.0 through 7.2.4, 7.0.0 through 7.0.10, FortiOS versions 7.4.0, 7.2.0 through 7.2.4, 7.0.0 through 7.0.11, 6.4.0 through 6.4.12, 6.2.0 through 6.2.15, 6.0.0 through 6.0.17, FortiPAM versions 1.0.0 through 1.0.3 allows attacker to execute unauthorized code or commands  via specially crafted API requests.

Weakness: CWE-134 (Use of Externally-Controlled Format String)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-36639?

It affects 3 products.


Products: Fortinet Fortios, Fortinet Fortipam, Fortinet Fortiproxy.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-36639?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-36639 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2023-36639 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-36639 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-2023-36639 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-36639 is a high-severity code injection vulnerability in Fortinet Fortios, published on 13 Dec 2023. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-36639 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-2023-36639/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-36639/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-36639
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-36639
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-36639

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-36639/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.