CVE-2013-4728
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 · uneditedDDSN Interactive cm3 Acora CMS 6.0.6/1a, 6.0.2/1a, 5.5.7/12b, 5.5.0/1b-p1, and possibly other versions, allows remote attackers to obtain sensitive information via a .. (dot dot) in the "l" parameter, which reveals the installation path in an error message.
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 confidenceDDSN Interactive Acora CMS allows remote attackers to obtain sensitive information by supplying a directory traversal sequence ('..') in the 'l' parameter. The application reflects this malicious input back in an error message, revealing the full server installation path.
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= 5.5.0\/1b-p1= 5.5.7\/12b= 6.0.2\/1a= 6.0.6\/1aCVSS 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
- Low
- Authentication
- None
- Confidentiality
- Partial
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:N
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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Confirm Acora CMS installationIdentify if DDSN Interactive Acora CMS is deployed on the server by checking for its characteristic web application files, login portals, or administrative interfaces. Look for Acora-specific directories, CMS branding, or the presence of 'cm3' or 'acora' in the web application structure.Affected if Acora CMS is installed and the specific versions listed below apply.
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Determine installed Acora CMS versionLocate the version file or administrative interface that displays the Acora CMS version number. Common locations include the administrator dashboard, an 'about' page, a version info file in the CMS directory, or the footer of the CMS pages.Affected if The installed version matches any of these affected versions: 5.5.0/1b-p1, 5.5.7/12b, 6.0.2/1a, or 6.0.6/1a.
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Identify if the 'l' parameter is exposed in web requestsExamine the web application's URL parameters or forms to determine if a parameter named 'l' is used. This parameter is commonly associated with language, locale, or file loading functionality in Acora CMS.Affected if The 'l' parameter is present and can be manipulated in HTTP requests to the Acora CMS application.
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Test for path disclosure via 'l' parameterSend a request to the Acora CMS application with a directory traversal sequence ('../') in the 'l' parameter. Observe whether the error response or any feedback reveals the server's full file system installation path.Affected if The application returns an error message containing the complete server path to the Acora CMS installation directory when traversal sequences are supplied in the 'l' parameter.
The environment is affected if Acora CMS versions 5.5.0/1b-p1, 5.5.7/12b, 6.0.2/1a, or 6.0.6/1a are installed AND the 'l' parameter is accessible and reflects full server paths in error messages when given traversal input.
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 input validation on the 'l' parameter to reject path traversal sequences. Sanitize error messages to prevent exposure of server file system paths.
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing1.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2013-4728 — 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-2013-4728 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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- 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
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