Overview
CVE-2025-59669 describes a security vulnerability found in Fortinet FortiWeb web application firewalls (WAF). This vulnerability involves the use of hardcoded credentials that can be exploited by an authenticated attacker with shell access to the device. Successful exploitation allows the attacker to connect to the Redis service and gain unauthorized access to its data.
Technical Details
The vulnerability stems from the presence of hardcoded credentials used to access the Redis database within the FortiWeb appliance. If an attacker manages to gain shell access (e.g., through another vulnerability or misconfiguration) to the FortiWeb system, they can leverage these hardcoded credentials to authenticate to the Redis service. This grants them the ability to read, modify, or delete sensitive data stored within Redis, potentially compromising the security and integrity of the FortiWeb appliance and the applications it protects.
The vulnerable versions of FortiWeb are:
- FortiWeb 7.6.0
- FortiWeb 7.4 (all versions)
- FortiWeb 7.2 (all versions)
- FortiWeb 7.0 (all versions)
CVSS Analysis
The Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) assigns CVE-2025-59669 a score of 5.3, indicating a MEDIUM severity. The CVSS vector likely includes factors such as:
- Attack Vector (AV): Local (L) – Requires local access to the system.
- Attack Complexity (AC): Low (L) – Exploitation is relatively straightforward.
- Privileges Required (PR): Low (L) – Requires low-level privileges (e.g., shell access).
- User Interaction (UI): None (N) – No user interaction is required.
- Scope (S): Unchanged (U) – The vulnerability affects the affected component only.
- Confidentiality Impact (C): Low (L) – Limited impact on data confidentiality.
- Integrity Impact (I): Low (L) – Limited impact on data integrity.
- Availability Impact (A): None (N) – No impact on system availability.
While the CVSS score is medium, the impact can be significant depending on the data stored within Redis and the attacker’s objectives.
Possible Impact
Successful exploitation of CVE-2025-59669 can lead to the following potential impacts:
- Data Breach: An attacker can access sensitive data stored in Redis, potentially including user credentials, session information, and application configurations.
- Configuration Tampering: An attacker can modify FortiWeb configurations stored in Redis, leading to security policy bypass or other malicious activities.
- Denial of Service (Indirect): Although the CVSS score doesn’t reflect direct availability impact, an attacker might manipulate Redis data to cause instability or malfunction of the FortiWeb appliance, leading to a denial of service.
- Lateral Movement: Compromised Redis credentials could potentially be reused to access other systems or services within the network, depending on the environment’s configuration.
Mitigation or Patch Steps
To mitigate the risk posed by CVE-2025-59669, Fortinet recommends upgrading to a patched version of FortiWeb. Consult the official Fortinet advisory for specific version details and upgrade instructions.
Specifically, apply the update recommended by Fortinet for the listed versions in their advisory.
In addition to upgrading, consider the following security best practices:
- Network Segmentation: Implement network segmentation to limit the impact of a potential breach.
- Principle of Least Privilege: Ensure that accounts have only the necessary privileges to perform their tasks.
- Regular Security Audits: Conduct regular security audits and penetration testing to identify and address vulnerabilities.
- Monitor for Suspicious Activity: Implement robust monitoring and alerting systems to detect suspicious activity on the FortiWeb appliance and the network.
