CVE-2003-1552
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedUnrestricted file upload vulnerability in uploader.php in Uploader 1.1 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code by uploading a file with an executable extension, then accessing it via a direct request to the file in uploads/.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceThe uploader.php script in Uploader 1.1 lacks proper file type validation, allowing attackers to upload files with executable extensions (such as .php) to the web-accessible uploads/ directory. By directly requesting the uploaded file, remote attackers can achieve arbitrary code execution.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data= 1.1CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- M
- Authentication
- None
- Confidentiality
- Partial
- Integrity
- Partial
- Availability
- Partial
AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Locate the uploader.php scriptSearch the web server document root for a file named uploader.php using commands like 'find /var/www -name uploader.php' or 'dir /s /b C:\inetpub\uploader.php' on WindowsAffected if The file uploader.php from Graeme Uploader exists on the server
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Verify the uploader versionOpen uploader.php and look for a version string, commonly in comments near the top of the file or in a configuration sectionAffected if The version is 1.1 (exact match)
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Confirm the uploads directory is web-accessibleCheck for an 'uploads/' subdirectory within the same directory as uploader.php, then verify it is within the web document root by reviewing the web server configurationAffected if The uploads/ directory exists and is served by the web server (within document root)
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Determine if script execution is allowed in uploads/Check the web server configuration (Apache .htaccess, nginx config, or IIS request filtering) for any directives that disable PHP/ASP/script execution in the uploads/ directoryAffected if No configuration blocks script execution in uploads/ (e.g., no 'php_flag engine off' or equivalent)
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Review upload validation logicExamine uploader.php source code to see if it validates file extensions or MIME types before saving uploaded filesAffected if The script lacks proper file type validation and accepts executable extensions like .php
The environment is affected if Graeme Uploader version 1.1 is installed with uploader.php present, the uploads/ directory is web-accessible, and no script execution restrictions or file validation safeguards are in place.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor dataImplement strict allowlist-based file validation checking MIME types and extensions, rename uploaded files to non-executable names, and either store uploads outside the web root or disable script execution in the uploads directory using web server configuration.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation3.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,272.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2003-1552 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2003-1552 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.
- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data