Fortinet FortiWeb Vulnerability (CVE-2025-25257)

On July 8, 2025, Fortinet disclosed active exploitation of CVE-2025-25257, a critical SQL injection vulnerability in FortiWeb. The flaw resides in the Fabric Connector module and allows unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary database commands through specially crafted HTTP or HTTPS requests. Exploited systems included FortiWeb instances directly exposed to the internet.

Date of Incident: July 8, 2025
Vulnerability ID: CVE-2025-25257
CVSS Score: 9.6 (Critical)

Explanation

CVE-2025-25257 is caused by improper neutralization of input in SQL statements (CWE-89). Attackers exploited this flaw by injecting SQL commands into requests targeting the Fabric Connector, a component used to integrate FortiWeb with other Fortinet products.

Successful exploitation did not require authentication and could lead to data manipulation, credential access, or full system compromise depending on database permissions. The vulnerability put all unpatched FortiWeb deployments at significant risk.

Impact

Application Compromise: Attackers could bypass WAF protection and steal data from back-end applications.

System Access: Execution of SQL commands led to potential elevation of privileges or service compromise.

Service Disruption: Malicious queries disrupted normal firewall operations and created downtime.

Reputation Risk: Organizations faced scrutiny for firewall failure and data exposure.

MITRE ATT&CK Mapping

Tactic: Initial Access (TA0001): T1190 – Exploit Public-Facing Application (via Fabric Connector interface)

Tactic: Execution (TA0002): T1565 – Data Manipulation (used SQL commands to modify or access protected data)

Tactic: Collection (TA0009): T1005 – Data from Local System (accessed sensitive records)

IOCs

Domains: None publicly disclosed

IP Addresses: 172.16.254.88 (example attacker IP)

File Hashes: None specific

Log Artifacts

Jul 08 2025 11:45:33 [FortiWeb] Suspicious SQL command from 172.16.254.88
Jul 08 2025 11:45:34 [FortiWeb] Database error: Unauthorized command executed

Remediation

Vendor Patch Guidance: Upgrade FortiWeb to version 7.6.4, 7.4.8, 7.2.11, or 7.0.11 as per Fortinet’s official advisory.

Temporary Mitigations: Disable the Fabric Connector module if unused. Restrict management interface access to trusted IPs.

Known Workarounds: Deploy updated WAF signatures to detect and block malicious SQL payloads.

Threat Hunting Recommendations

Log Correlation: Monitor WAF logs for abnormal SQL command patterns, especially those not matching application behavior.

Sigma Rule:

Anomalous Traffic: Watch for unexpected database access activity or repeated malformed SQL query attempts.

Takeaway for CISOs

Web application firewalls are often the first and last line of defense for critical business applications. Ensuring they are correctly configured, continuously updated, and routinely tested for exploitation paths is essential for application security hygiene.

How FireCompass Can Actively Test WAF Configurations

FireCompass CART emulates attacker behavior across your web infrastructure to detect vulnerabilities like CVE-2025-25257. It actively tests WAF configurations, identifies gaps in SQL injection protection, and provides actionable insights to strengthen firewall posture.

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Priyanka Aash

Priyanka Aash is credited with building global communities for cybersecurity leaders and shaping enterprise marketing strategies for over a decade. She has been nominated for the Cybersecurity Excellence Award for her leadership & AI innovations in cybersecurity and honored with the NetApp Excellerate HER award. She is also the author of “The AI Divide,” which explores how artificial intelligence is quietly rewiring human minds and influencing decisions. Earlier, she co-founded CISO Platform, the world’s first online platform for collaboration and knowledge sharing among senior information security executives. Through this, she worked with the marketing teams of IBM, VMware, F5 Networks, Barracuda Networks, Check Point, and others, driving inbound marketing and enterprise growth. Priyanka is passionate about entrepreneurship, enterprise marketing strategy, and building communities that empower CISOs worldwide.