CVE-2023-30803 – CVE-2023-30803 is an authentication bypass vuln... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2023-30803?

CVE-2023-30803 has a CVSS score of 9.8 (CRITICAL). CVE-2023-30803 is an authentication bypass vulnerability in Sangfor Next-Gen Application Firewall NGAF version 8.0.17. Remote unauthenticated attackers can bypass authentication and access administrative functionality by sending HTTP requests with a crafted Y-forwarded-for header. Organizations using this specific firewall version are affected.

📋 TL;DR

CVE-2023-30803 is an authentication bypass vulnerability in Sangfor Next-Gen Application Firewall NGAF version 8.0.17. Remote unauthenticated attackers can bypass authentication and access administrative functionality by sending HTTP requests with a crafted Y-forwarded-for header. Organizations using this specific firewall version are affected.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Sangfor Next-Gen Application Firewall (NGAF)

Versions: NGAF 8.0.17

Operating Systems: Sangfor proprietary OS

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Only affects version 8.0.17 specifically. Other versions may be unaffected.

📦 What is this software?

Next Gen Application Firewall by Sangfor

View all CVEs affecting Next Gen Application Firewall →

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Complete compromise of the firewall appliance leading to network infiltration, data exfiltration, and use as pivot point for internal attacks.

🟠

Likely Case

Unauthorized administrative access allowing firewall rule manipulation, configuration changes, and potential command execution.

🟢

If Mitigated

Limited impact if firewall is behind additional security layers or has restricted administrative access.

🌐 Internet-Facing: HIGH - Directly exploitable from internet if firewall management interface is exposed.

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - Exploitable from internal networks if attacker gains initial access.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ⚠️ Yes

Weaponized: CONFIRMED

Unauthenticated Exploit: ⚠️ Yes

Complexity: LOW

Simple HTTP request manipulation required. Public exploit details available in security advisories.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: NGAF 8.0.18 or later

Vendor Advisory: https://aws.amazon.com/marketplace/pp/prodview-uujwjffddxzp4

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Download latest firmware from Sangfor support portal. 2. Backup current configuration. 3. Apply firmware update via web interface. 4. Reboot appliance. 5. Verify version update.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Restrict Management Interface Access

all

Limit access to firewall management interface to trusted IP addresses only.

Configure firewall rules to restrict access to management IP/port from specific source IPs

Disable Remote Management

all

Disable HTTP/HTTPS management access from untrusted networks.

Disable WAN management interface in firewall settings

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Isolate firewall management interface behind VPN or jump host
Implement network segmentation to limit firewall access to minimal required systems

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check firewall version via web interface: System > System Information. If version is exactly 8.0.17, system is vulnerable.

Check Version:

Check via web interface or SSH: show version

Verify Fix Applied:

Verify version is 8.0.18 or later. Test authentication bypass by attempting to access admin pages without credentials using crafted Y-forwarded-for header.

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

HTTP requests with Y-forwarded-for header to admin endpoints
Authentication failures followed by successful admin access
Unusual source IPs accessing management interface

Network Indicators:

HTTP traffic with Y-forwarded-for header to firewall management port
Unauthenticated requests to /login.php or similar admin endpoints

SIEM Query:

source="firewall_logs" AND (http_header="Y-forwarded-for" OR uri_path="/admin" OR uri_path="/login.php") AND NOT user_agent="legitimate_browser"

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2023-30803

CVSS v3 Score: 9.8 (CRITICAL)

CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CWE: CWE-290

Published: October 10, 2023

Last Updated: November 28, 2025

🔗 References

https://aws.amazon.com/marketplace/pp/prodview-uujwjffddxzp4 Product
https://labs.watchtowr.com/yet-more-unauth-remote-command-execution-vulns-in-firewalls-sangfor-edition/ Exploit,Third Party Advisory
https://vulncheck.com/advisories/sangfor-ngaf-auth-bypass Third Party Advisory
https://aws.amazon.com/marketplace/pp/prodview-uujwjffddxzp4 Product
https://labs.watchtowr.com/yet-more-unauth-remote-command-execution-vulns-in-firewalls-sangfor-edition/ Exploit,Third Party Advisory
https://vulncheck.com/advisories/sangfor-ngaf-auth-bypass Third Party Advisory

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🔗 Related Vulnerabilities

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