Fortinet disclosed a critical OS command injection vulnerability (CVE-2025-25256) in its **FortiSIEM** platform, a security information and event management (SIEM) system used for threat detection and incident response. The flaw, stemming from improper neutralization of special elements in CLI requests, allows **unauthenticated attackers** to execute arbitrary code on vulnerable systems **without user interaction**. Exploit code has already surfaced in the wild, though no confirmed attacks have been reported yet. The vulnerability affects multiple versions (6.1–7.3.1), with patches available in newer releases (e.g., 7.4, 7.3.2+). Mitigation includes restricting access to **TCP port 7900 (phMonitor service)** to trusted IPs. The lack of distinctive indicators of compromise (IoCs) complicates detection, increasing the risk of covert exploitation. Previous similar vulnerabilities (e.g., CVE-2023-34992) saw PoC exploits but no widespread abuse, though the critical nature of this flaw—enabling full system compromise—poses severe operational and security risks if left unpatched.
TPRM report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/fortinet
"id": "for453081325",
"linkid": "fortinet",
"type": "Vulnerability",
"date": "8/2025",
"severity": "85",
"impact": "4",
"explanation": "Attack with significant impact with customers data leaks"{'affected_entities': [{'industry': 'Cybersecurity',
'location': 'Sunnyvale, California, USA',
'name': 'Fortinet',
'type': 'Corporation'}],
'attack_vector': ['Network', 'Unauthenticated CLI Requests'],
'customer_advisories': ['Admins advised to upgrade or restrict access to '
'TCP/7900'],
'description': 'Fortinet has released patches for a critical OS command '
'injection vulnerability (CVE-2025-25256) in FortiSIEM, after '
'practical exploit code surfaced in the wild. The '
'vulnerability, caused by improper neutralization of special '
'elements, allows unauthenticated attackers to execute '
'unauthorized code or commands on vulnerable devices via '
'specially crafted CLI requests. No user interaction is '
'required. The vulnerability affects multiple versions of '
'FortiSIEM, and admins are advised to upgrade to patched '
'versions or restrict access to the phMonitor port (TCP port '
'7900) if immediate patching is not feasible.',
'impact': {'brand_reputation_impact': ['Potential reputational damage due to '
'unpatched systems being exploitable'],
'operational_impact': ['Potential unauthorized code execution',
'Risk of system compromise via phMonitor '
'service (TCP/7900)'],
'systems_affected': ['FortiSIEM versions 7.3.0–7.3.1, 7.2.0–7.2.5, '
'7.1.0–7.1.7, 7.0.0–7.0.3, 6.7.0–6.7.9, and '
'older branches (6.6, 6.5, 6.4, 6.3, 6.2, '
'6.1, 5.4)']},
'initial_access_broker': {'entry_point': ['phMonitor service (TCP/7900) via '
'crafted CLI requests']},
'investigation_status': 'Ongoing (No confirmed exploits in the wild reported '
'yet)',
'lessons_learned': ['Proactive patching is critical for vulnerabilities with '
'public exploit code',
'Restricting access to vulnerable services (e.g., '
'TCP/7900) can mitigate risk when immediate patching is '
'not possible',
'Lack of distinctive IoCs makes detection of exploits '
'challenging'],
'post_incident_analysis': {'corrective_actions': ['Released patches for '
'affected versions',
'Advisory to restrict '
'access to vulnerable port'],
'root_causes': ['Improper neutralization of '
"special elements in FortiSIEM's "
'CLI request handling']},
'recommendations': ['Upgrade FortiSIEM to patched versions immediately (7.4, '
'7.3.2+, 7.2.6+, etc.)',
'Restrict access to phMonitor port (TCP/7900) to trusted '
'internal hosts/IPs if patching is delayed',
'Monitor for unusual activity on TCP/7900, though '
'exploits may lack distinctive IoCs',
'Subscribe to threat intelligence feeds for updates on '
'emerging exploits'],
'references': [{'source': 'Fortinet Advisory (Hypothetical, not provided in '
'text)'},
{'source': 'Horizon3.ai Research (Prior PoCs for '
'CVE-2023-34992 and CVE-2024-23108)'}],
'response': {'communication_strategy': ['Public advisory with patch '
'recommendations',
'Subscription-based breaking news '
'alerts'],
'containment_measures': ['Restrict access to phMonitor port '
'(TCP/7900) to trusted internal '
'hosts/IPs'],
'remediation_measures': ['Upgrade to patched versions: FortiSIEM '
'7.4, 7.3.2+, 7.2.6+, 7.1.8+, 7.0.4+, '
'or 6.7.10+']},
'stakeholder_advisories': ['Public patch advisory issued by Fortinet'],
'title': 'Critical OS Command Injection Vulnerability (CVE-2025-25256) in '
'FortiSIEM',
'type': ['Vulnerability', 'OS Command Injection'],
'vulnerability_exploited': 'CVE-2025-25256 (Improper Neutralization of '
'Special Elements in FortiSIEM)'}