CVE-2018-12941
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 · uneditedThis vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code in SeedDMS (formerly LetoDMS and MyDMS) before 5.1.8 by adding a system command at the end of the "cacheDir" path and following usage of the "Clear Cache" functionality. This allows an authenticated attacker, with permission to the Settings functionality, to inject arbitrary system commands within the application by manipulating the "Cache directory" path. An attacker can use it to perform malicious tasks such as to extract, change, or delete sensitive information or run system commands on the underlying operating system.
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 confidenceSeedDMS versions before 5.1.8 contain a command injection vulnerability in the Settings functionality. An authenticated attacker with Settings permissions can inject arbitrary system commands by manipulating the 'Cache directory' (cacheDir) path and triggering the 'Clear Cache' function, leading to remote code execution on the underlying operating system.
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< 5.1.8CVSS 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
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Confirm SeedDMS installationLocate SeedDMS web application files in your web server document root or application directory. Look for the main SeedDMS PHP files (such as index.php, opendms.php, or the 'out' directory containing the web interface).Affected if SeedDMS is present on the system
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Determine installed SeedDMS versionCheck the version number in SeedDMS. This is typically displayed in the web interface footer, or found in a version file (such as version.txt or in the configuration). Compare your version against the affected range: versions before 5.1.8 are vulnerable.Affected if Installed version is earlier than 5.1.8
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Verify authentication is enabledConfirm that SeedDMS requires authentication to access the application. Check if the login page is enforced and anonymous access is not permitted.Affected if Authentication is required to access the application
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Check for users with Settings permissionsReview user accounts and permission configurations in SeedDMS to identify any users who have access to the Settings functionality. This is typically found in the User/Group management section of the admin interface.Affected if Any authenticated user has Settings permission enabled
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Confirm Clear Cache function existsNavigate to the Settings area in the SeedDMS web interface and verify that the 'Clear Cache' function and 'Cache directory' (cacheDir) setting are present and accessible.Affected if The Cache directory setting and Clear Cache function are available in the Settings panel
Your environment is affected if you have SeedDMS installed with a version earlier than 5.1.8 where an authenticated user has Settings permissions and can access the Clear Cache function.
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 data5.1.8
Upgrade SeedDMS to version 5.1.8 or later. As a temporary workaround, restrict access to the Settings functionality to trusted administrators only and monitor for suspicious cacheDir path values.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2018-12941 — 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-2018-12941 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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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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