CVE-2024-32122 is an information disclosure vulnerability affecting multiple versions of Fortinet FortiOS, specifically 6.4.x, 7.0.x, 7.2.x, and 7.4.0 through 7.4.8. The root cause is that FortiOS stores passwords in a recoverable format, which is a security weakness. An attacker with high-level privileges on the device can exploit this by modifying the LDAP server IP address configuration to point to a malicious LDAP server under their control. This redirection can cause the device to send sensitive authentication data, including passwords, to the attacker’s server, leading to information disclosure. The vulnerability does not require user interaction but does require the attacker to have authenticated administrative access to the FortiOS device. The CVSS v3.1 score is 2.1, reflecting a low severity primarily due to the requirement for high privileges and limited scope of impact. No known exploits have been reported in the wild, and no patches or mitigations have been explicitly linked in the provided data. The vulnerability primarily affects confidentiality, with no direct impact on integrity or availability. This issue highlights the risks of improper password storage and the importance of securing administrative interfaces and configurations on network security devices.

For European organizations, this vulnerability could lead to unauthorized disclosure of sensitive password information if an attacker gains administrative access to FortiOS devices and manipulates LDAP configurations. This could facilitate further lateral movement or privilege escalation within the network. While the direct impact is limited due to the high privilege requirement, organizations with Fortinet FortiOS devices in critical network infrastructure—such as government, finance, telecommunications, and large enterprises—may face increased risk if internal access controls are weak. The exposure of credentials could undermine trust in authentication mechanisms and potentially lead to broader compromise if attackers leverage disclosed passwords elsewhere. However, the low CVSS score and lack of known exploits suggest the immediate risk is limited. Still, the vulnerability underscores the need for strict administrative access controls and monitoring of configuration changes in FortiOS devices.

European organizations should implement the following specific mitigations: 1) Restrict administrative access to FortiOS devices using strong authentication methods such as multi-factor authentication (MFA) and IP whitelisting to prevent unauthorized configuration changes. 2) Monitor and audit LDAP server IP configuration changes on FortiOS devices to detect unauthorized modifications promptly. 3) Regularly review and update FortiOS devices to the latest versions once Fortinet releases patches addressing this vulnerability. 4) Employ network segmentation to limit access to FortiOS management interfaces only to trusted administrators. 5) Use encrypted and secure channels for LDAP communication to reduce the risk of interception or redirection. 6) Conduct internal security assessments to verify that password storage and handling practices comply with best security standards. 7) Educate network administrators about the risks of configuration changes and enforce change management policies. These targeted actions go beyond generic advice by focusing on configuration integrity monitoring and access control hardening specific to FortiOS LDAP settings.