CVE-2023-29184

Persistent SSH access via aborted key addition

Published Jun 10, 2025 · Updated Jun 11, 2025

Incomplete cleanup in Fortinet FortiOS and FortiProxy allows local users with VDOM privileges to silently add SSH key files via CLI requests. The CLI fails to remove the SSH key file when a crafted key-add operation is aborted, leaving the key installed despite the failed transaction. VDOM privileges and CLI access are required; the residual key permits later SSH authentication with the matching private key.

CVSS severity3.2
Low
EPSS probability0.21%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Incomplete cleanup in Fortinet FortiOS and FortiProxy allows local users with VDOM privileges to silently add SSH key files via CLI requests. The CLI fails to remove the SSH key file when a crafted key-add operation is aborted, leaving the key installed despite the failed transaction. VDOM privileges and CLI access are required; the residual key permits later SSH authentication with the matching private key.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-29184
Published
Jun 10, 2025
Updated
Jun 11, 2025
Vendor
Fortinet
Product
FortiOS
Classifications
CWE-459, T1098.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jun 10, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Jun 11, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=6.2.0 <=6.2.17
  2. Affected versionversion=6.4.0 <=6.4.16
  3. Affected versionversion=7.0.0 <=7.0.17
  4. Affected versionversion=7.2.0 <=7.2.11

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Fortinet · FortiOSversion=6.2.0 <=6.2.17; version=6.4.0 <=6.4.16; version=7.0.0 <=7.0.17; version=7.2.0 <=7.2.11
Fortinet · FortiProxyversion=1.1.0 <=1.1.6; version=1.2.0 <=1.2.13; version=2.0.0 <=2.0.14; version=7.0.0 <=7.0.8; version=7.2.0 <=7.2.2

Published CVSS scores

3.2FortinetCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:L/A:N
2.3NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-459Incomplete Cleanup
T1098.004Account Manipulation: SSH Authorized Keys

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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