CVE-2023-34993: 
FortiWLM vulnerability analysis and mitigation

A critical vulnerability (CVE-2023-34993) was discovered in Fortinet FortiWLM versions 8.6.0 through 8.6.5 and 8.5.0 through 8.5.4. The vulnerability is an improper neutralization of special elements used in an OS command injection that allows unauthenticated attackers to execute unauthorized code or commands via specifically crafted HTTP GET request parameters (NVD, Fortinet Advisory).

The vulnerability exists in the /ems/cgi-bin/ezrfupgradeimages.cgi endpoint, specifically in the deleteprogressfile() function which extracts the progressfile request parameter and passes it directly to a system() call without any input validation. The vulnerability received a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.8 (Critical) with the vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H, indicating network accessibility, low attack complexity, and no required privileges or user interaction (Horizon3).

The vulnerability allows attackers to execute unauthorized code or commands with root privileges on affected systems. This level of access could potentially lead to complete system compromise, as the command execution occurs in the context of the root user (Dark Reading).

Fortinet has released patches to address this vulnerability. Organizations using affected versions should upgrade to FortiWLM version 8.6.6 or above for the 8.6.x branch, or to version 8.5.5 or above for the 8.5.x branch (Fortinet Advisory).

Security researchers and industry experts have noted that Fortinet devices have been frequently targeted by attackers, with several critical vulnerabilities observed since 2019. The vulnerability has attracted significant attention due to its critical severity and the potential for exploitation by nation-state actors and ransomware groups (Dark Reading).