CVE-2018-16961
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 · uneditedAn issue was discovered in Open XDMoD through 7.5.0. html/gui/general/dl_publication.php allows Path traversal via the file parameter, allowing remote attackers to read PDF files in arbitrary directories.
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 confidenceOpen XDMoD through version 7.5.0 contains a path traversal vulnerability in the dl_publication.php script. The 'file' parameter is not properly sanitized, allowing an unauthenticated remote attacker to use '../' directory traversal sequences to access and read arbitrary PDF files from the server filesystem.
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<= 7.5.0CVSS 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
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/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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Identify if Open XDMoD is installedCheck for the presence of Open XDMoD web application files, typically found in the web server's document root (e.g., /var/www/html/xdmod or similar paths). Look for the main XDMoD application directory.Affected if Open XDMoD is present on the server
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Determine the installed Open XDMoD versionLocate the version file or check the software version through the administrative interface or package manager. Common locations include a VERSION file in the application root or the 'version' field in the database.Affected if The installed version is 7.5.0 or earlier
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Verify dl_publication.php exists and is accessibleCheck for the presence of dl_publication.php in the web application's public directory. This file is typically located in the /html/gui or /html/ directory of the XDMoD installation.Affected if dl_publication.php is present and accessible via the web server
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Test if directory traversal is possible on the file parameterAttempt a controlled test of the 'file' parameter in dl_publication.php using directory traversal sequences (e.g., request dl_publication.php?file=../filename) to see if arbitrary file access is possible. This should only be done in authorized, non-production environments or with explicit permission.Affected if The application allows reading files outside the intended publication directory using '../' sequences in the file parameter
The server is affected if it runs Open XDMoD version 7.5.0 or earlier and has the dl_publication.php script accessible, which permits directory traversal to read arbitrary files.
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 dataUpgrade to a patched version of Open XDMoD beyond 7.5.0, or implement strict input validation on the file parameter to reject directory traversal sequences and restrict file access to expected directories only.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing1.0 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 $1,744.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2018-16961 — 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-2018-16961 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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