Fortinet has disclosed a severe authentication bypass vulnerability affecting multiple versions of its FortiWeb web application firewall, potentially allowing unauthorized remote access to protected systems.
The vulnerability, classified under CWE-233 (Improper Handling of Parameters), allows attackers with specific non-public information to impersonate legitimate users by sending specially crafted requests.
Vulnerability Details and Technical Impact
The authentication bypass flaw stems from improper parameter validation within FortiWeb’s authentication mechanism.
Security researcher Aviv Y (@0x_shaq), who discovered and responsibly disclosed the vulnerability, demonstrated how an unauthenticated remote attacker could exploit this weakness to gain unauthorized access to any existing user account on the device.
The vulnerability affects a broad range of FortiWeb versions, spanning multiple major releases. FortiWeb 7.0 versions from 7.0.0 through 7.0.10 require an upgrade to version 7.0.11 or later.
Similarly, FortiWeb 7.2 installations running versions 7.2.0 through 7.2.10 must upgrade to 7.2.11 or later.
The FortiWeb 7.4 branch, affecting versions 7.4.0 through 7.4.7, requires an update to 7.4.8 or above, while FortiWeb 7.6 users running versions 7.6.0 through 7.6.3 should upgrade to 7.6.4 or higher.
Notably, FortiWeb 8.0 remains unaffected by this vulnerability, representing the most secure current option for organizations.
The technical nature of this CWE-233 classification indicates that the vulnerability involves insufficient input validation or sanitization of parameters passed to the authentication system, creating opportunities for security controls to be circumvented.
Immediate Action Required for Network Security
Organizations utilizing affected FortiWeb versions face significant security risks, as web application firewalls typically serve as critical perimeter defense components protecting sensitive web applications and data.
The authentication bypass could potentially grant attackers administrative access to security configurations, firewall rules, and protected application insights.
System administrators should immediately assess their current FortiWeb deployments and implement the recommended version upgrades.
The vulnerability’s exploitation requires attackers to possess specific non-public information about both the target device and intended user account, which may limit immediate widespread exploitation but does not diminish the severity for targeted attacks.
Fortinet’s acknowledgment of Aviv Y’s responsible disclosure highlights the importance of coordinated vulnerability disclosure practices in maintaining cybersecurity.
The timeline indicates initial publication occurred on August 12, 2025, providing organizations with immediate notification to begin remediation efforts.
Given FortiWeb’s role in protecting web applications from various attacks, this authentication bypass represents a critical security concern requiring urgent attention from network security teams worldwide.
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