CVE-2024-45328 is an escalation of privilege vulnerability identified in Fortinet FortiSandbox versions 4.4.0 through 4.4.6. The root cause is an incorrect authorization mechanism (classified under CWE-863) that fails to properly restrict access to certain CLI commands when accessed via the GUI console menu. Specifically, a user with low-level administrative privileges can exploit this flaw to execute commands with elevated privileges, bypassing intended access controls. This vulnerability does not require user interaction and can be exploited remotely by an authenticated low-privileged administrator, making it relatively easy to leverage in environments where such accounts exist. The vulnerability impacts confidentiality, integrity, and availability by potentially allowing attackers to gain full control over the FortiSandbox device, manipulate or disable security functions, and access sensitive data processed by the sandbox. FortiSandbox is a critical security product used for advanced threat detection and malware analysis, so compromise of this system can severely degrade an organization's security posture. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 7.1, reflecting high severity with local attack vector, low attack complexity, and partial remediation level. No public exploits or patches were noted at the time of publication, indicating the need for immediate attention from affected organizations.

The exploitation of CVE-2024-45328 can have severe consequences for organizations globally. By allowing a low-privileged administrator to escalate privileges, attackers can gain full control over the FortiSandbox device, potentially disabling or manipulating threat detection and response capabilities. This can lead to undetected malware infections, data breaches, and disruption of security operations. The compromise of FortiSandbox could also serve as a pivot point for lateral movement within a network, increasing the risk of broader compromise. Given FortiSandbox’s role in analyzing suspicious files and network traffic, its compromise undermines trust in security alerts and may delay incident response. Organizations relying heavily on Fortinet products, especially those in critical infrastructure, finance, healthcare, and government sectors, face heightened risks. The lack of known exploits in the wild currently reduces immediate threat but does not diminish the urgency for remediation, as threat actors may develop exploits rapidly once the vulnerability is public.

1. Immediately restrict access to FortiSandbox GUI console menus to only trusted, high-privileged administrators until patches are available. 2. Monitor and audit all administrative activities on FortiSandbox devices to detect any unusual or unauthorized CLI command executions. 3. Apply vendor-supplied patches or updates as soon as they are released to address this vulnerability. 4. Implement network segmentation to isolate FortiSandbox devices from general administrative networks to reduce the risk of unauthorized access. 5. Enforce strong authentication and role-based access controls (RBAC) to minimize the number of users with administrative privileges. 6. Use multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all administrative access to FortiSandbox. 7. Regularly review and update administrative account permissions to ensure least privilege principles. 8. Employ intrusion detection systems (IDS) and endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools to identify potential exploitation attempts. 9. Conduct security awareness training for administrators regarding the risks of privilege escalation vulnerabilities and safe operational practices. 10. Maintain up-to-date backups and incident response plans to quickly recover from potential compromises.