CVE-2018-7503
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 · uneditedIn Advantech WebAccess versions V8.2_20170817 and prior, WebAccess versions V8.3.0 and prior, WebAccess Dashboard versions V.2.0.15 and prior, WebAccess Scada Node versions prior to 8.3.1, and WebAccess/NMS 2.0.3 and prior, a path transversal vulnerability has been identified, which may allow an attacker to disclose sensitive information on the target.
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 · moderate confidenceA path traversal vulnerability in Advantech WebAccess allows attackers to manipulate file path requests using '..' sequences to access sensitive files outside the intended web root directory, potentially exposing configuration files, credentials, or other system files.
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<= 8.2_20170817<= 8.3.0<= 2.0.15< 8.3.1<= 2.0.3CVSS 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 Advantech WebAccess is installedCheck for the presence of Advantech WebAccess software on the system. Look for installation directories (commonly under C:\Advantech\WebAccess or similar), or check for the WebAccess Windows service running. Also check if TCP ports 80 or 8080 are listening, as the web interface is typically served on these ports.Affected if The software is found to be installed and the web service is running.
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Determine the installed WebAccess versionAccess the web interface login page and look for version information, typically displayed on the login screen or in an About/Help section. Alternatively, check the installation directory for version files or inspect the DLL file properties of core WebAccess components.Affected if The discovered version falls within any of these vulnerable ranges: WebAccess <= 8.2_20170817, WebAccess <= 8.3.0, Dashboard <= 2.0.15, Scada < 8.3.1, or Webaccess/nms <= 2.0.3.
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Verify the web application is accessibleConfirm that the WebAccess web interface is reachable by attempting to access the login page via HTTP (port 80/8080) or HTTPS if SSL is configured. The path traversal vulnerability requires the web service to be exposed.Affected if The web interface is accessible and responds to requests.
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Confirm the installation is not patchedIf a version is identified within the affected ranges, verify whether any vendor patches have been applied. Check for recent security updates or examine the file timestamps of core application DLLs against the original vulnerable release dates.Affected if The installation shows no evidence of patches addressing path traversal vulnerabilities and remains at or below the vulnerable version numbers.
You are affected if Advantech WebAccess, Dashboard, Scada, or Webaccess/nms is installed with a version at or below the affected ranges and the web interface is accessible.
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 data8.3.1
Implement strict input validation and sanitization for all file path parameters, use allowlist-based file access controls, and ensure file paths are canonicalized before use to prevent traversal attacks.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $5,120.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2018-7503 — 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-2018-7503 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
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