Fortinet FortiWeb Flaw: Patch Now or Face the SQL Injection Comedy of Errors!

Hot Take:

Fortinet FortiWeb users, it’s time to patch faster than your morning coffee brews! CVE-2025-25257 is here, serving up SQL injection vulnerabilities like they’re the new avocado toast of the cyber world. Don’t be the one who’s left with burnt toast—apply the patch before your server becomes the main course for cyber attackers!

Key Points:

– CVE-2025-25257 is a critical SQL injection vulnerability in Fortinet FortiWeb allowing pre-auth remote code execution.
– The flaw affects servers through crafted HTTP/HTTPS requests, with a CVSS score of 9.8.
– Fortinet released patches in versions 7.6.4, 7.4.8, 7.2.11, and 7.0.11.
– Researchers exploited the vulnerability to execute code by delivering a payload via Python’s .pth files.
– Administrators are urged to patch immediately, as public exploits are now available.

SQL Injection: The Cyber Chef’s Special

In the cybersecurity world, SQL injection vulnerabilities are like the secret spice that attackers use to whip up a storm in your server’s kitchen. The vulnerability CVE-2025-25257 in Fortinet FortiWeb is no different, serving up a potential feast for attackers with a CVSS score of 9.8. It’s the kind of dish that no security professional wants on their menu, especially when it allows unauthenticated attackers to execute unauthorized SQL commands via cleverly crafted HTTP/HTTPS requests. Fortinet’s advisory reads like a recipe for disaster, but fear not, they’ve also provided the antidote in the form of security patches.

The Patch is Mightier Than the Exploit

Fortinet didn’t just sit back and let their servers get sautéed. They addressed the issue with the release of security patches in versions 7.6.4, 7.4.8, 7.2.11, and 7.0.11. These patches are the cybersecurity equivalent of a fire extinguisher in a kitchen blaze—necessary, urgent, and potentially life-saving. Credit goes to Kentaro Kawane from GMO Cybersecurity for reporting this vulnerability under responsible disclosure, which is like telling the chef there’s a rat in the kitchen before the health inspector arrives.

WatchTowr: The Cybersecurity Sous-Chefs

In the quest to understand the vulnerability, WatchTowr researchers played the role of cybersecurity sous-chefs. They conducted a binary diffing comparison of Fortinet’s httpsd service between versions 7.6.3 and 7.6.4, revealing the presence of the security patch. Their analysis was like a culinary detective story, where they discovered how to escalate the SQL injection vulnerability to remote code execution, using MySQL’s INTO OUTFILE statement to write files as root. They tried dropping a web shell into a CGI-enabled directory, only to find the files weren’t executable—like a soufflé that refuses to rise.

Python: The Secret Ingredient

The researchers didn’t stop there. They found a Python script (ml-draw.py) in the CGI directory, executed by Apache via /bin/python. This was their secret ingredient, akin to finding truffle oil in a pantry. They leveraged a lesser-known Python feature: .pth files, which can execute arbitrary code when placed in Python’s site-packages directory. Despite challenges with file size limits and path constraints in INTO OUTFILE, they bypassed these using a relative file path and extracted payload chunks from the database. Ultimately, they successfully executed code by crafting a .pth file that ran their desired Python code when the CGI script was triggered.

Patch it Like it’s Hot

The moral of the story? If you’re an administrator, it’s time to patch like your servers depend on it—because they do. With public exploits now available, the clock is ticking before attackers serve you a dish you won’t want to taste. While there’s no evidence of active exploitation yet, it’s only a matter of time before this becomes the dish du jour for cyber attackers. Don’t wait for your servers to become the next cybersecurity horror story. Apply the patches immediately and keep your network safe from the cyber culinary chaos that could ensue.

In conclusion, Fortinet FortiWeb users need to act swiftly to protect their servers from the critical SQL injection vulnerability CVE-2025-25257. With public exploits now available, it’s essential to patch immediately to prevent unauthorized access and potential remote code execution. Don’t let your server become the main course for cyber attackers—ensure your systems are secure and up-to-date.