dbcve.org
SerendipityApplication · S9y

CVE-2016-10752

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.0 Published 2019-05-24
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

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 · unedited
serendipity_moveMediaDirectory in Serendipity 2.0.3 allows remote attackers to upload and execute arbitrary PHP code because it mishandles an extensionless filename during a rename, as demonstrated by "php" as a filename.

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 confidence

The serendipity_moveMediaDirectory function in Serendipity 2.0.3 fails to properly validate filenames during rename operations, allowing attackers to upload files with extensionless names like 'php' that get executed as server-side code. This enables remote code execution by uploading malicious PHP scripts.

MitigationImplement strict filename validation in serendipity_moveMediaDirectory to reject extensionless files and whitelist allowed file extensions. Additionally, configure the web server to prevent direct execution of uploaded files in the media directory.

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
SerendipityApplication
Affected:= 2.0.3

CVSS 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
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Confirm Serendipity version
    Locate the version file or admin panel that displays the installed Serendipity CMS version. This is typically found in the admin dashboard under 'About' or in a VERSION file at the root of the installation.
    Affected if The installed version is exactly 2.0.3
  2. Verify media directory upload feature is accessible
    Log into the Serendipity admin panel and navigate to the media library/file manager section. Check if the ability to upload or rename files is available for your user account.
    Affected if The media upload and rename functionality is enabled and accessible to your user account
  3. Inspect serendipity_moveMediaDirectory function
    Locate the Serendipity source code file containing the serendipity_moveMediaDirectory function (typically in the include directory). Examine the function to see if it validates file extensions before rename operations.
    Affected if The function lacks proper filename validation to reject extensionless files or files with dangerous extensions like .php
  4. Check web server execution policy for media directory
    Examine your web server configuration (Apache .htaccess, nginx config, or IIS settings) for the directory where uploaded media files are stored. Determine if the server is configured to allow execution of PHP or other script files in that directory.
    Affected if The web server permits execution of PHP files or server-side scripts stored in the media upload directory

You are affected if you run Serendipity 2.0.3, have the media upload/rename feature accessible, the moveMediaDirectory function lacks extension validation, and your web server allows script execution in the upload directory.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Implement strict filename validation in serendipity_moveMediaDirectory to reject extensionless files and whitelist allowed file extensions. Additionally, configure the web server to prevent direct execution of uploaded files in the media directory.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Serendipity 2.0.4 or later (latest stable release)

  1. 1. Backup your current Serendipity installation and database before proceeding with any upgrade.
  2. 2. Download the latest stable version of Serendipity from the official source (https://docs.s9y.org/downloads.html) or the official GitHub repository.
  3. 3. Upload and extract the new version files to your server, overwriting the existing installation.
  4. 4. Run any included database migration scripts if prompted during the upgrade process.
  5. 5. Verify that the serendipity_moveMediaDirectory function now properly validates file extensions and sanitizes filenames before allowing renames.
  6. 6. Test the media directory functionality to ensure uploads with extensionless filenames are properly handled and rejected or sanitized.
  7. 7. Confirm the upgrade was successful and the vulnerability is remediated by checking the Serendipity version number.
Caveat Standard upgrade - review release notes for any configuration or plugin compatibility changes

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Serendipity Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
15.0 hours of engineering $2,640
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2016-10752 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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.

What belongs here
  • 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