CVE-2019-11870
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 · uneditedSerendipity before 2.1.5 has XSS via EXIF data that is mishandled in the templates/2k11/admin/media_choose.tpl Editor Preview feature or the templates/2k11/admin/media_items.tpl Media Library feature.
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 confidenceSerendipity CMS before version 2.1.5 is vulnerable to stored XSS where malicious EXIF metadata in uploaded images is not sanitized before rendering in the admin panel. Attackers can embed JavaScript in image EXIF data (such as in the Comment or Artist fields) that executes when administrators view uploaded images in the Media Library (media_items.tpl) or Editor Preview (media_choose.tpl).
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< 2.1.5CVSS 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
- Required
- Scope
- Changed
- Confidentiality
- Low
- Integrity
- Low
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/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.
-
Check installed Serendipity versionLocate the version file or admin dashboard version display. Common locations include include/version.php or the admin overview page.Affected if Version is below 2.1.5 (e.g., 2.1.4, 2.1.3, earlier releases)
-
Verify media upload is enabledCheck the Serendipity configuration (serendipity_config_local.inc.php or admin Media settings) for upload permissions and ensure the uploads directory is accessible.Affected if Media uploads are permitted for any user role (admin, editor, author)
-
Identify uploaded images in the media libraryBrowse the uploads directory via FTP or the Serendipity Media Library interface to see if any images have been uploaded.Affected if There are uploaded image files present in the system
-
Examine EXIF handling in media templatesInspect the media_items.tpl and media_choose.tpl template files in the current theme for EXIF data display code (look for $entry.exif or similar EXIF output functions).Affected if Templates render EXIF metadata without sanitization (no htmlspecialchars or strip_tags applied to EXIF fields)
-
Check for existing malicious EXIF dataUse a tool like exiftool to examine uploaded image files: exiftool -Comment -Artist -ImageDescription <image_file>Affected if Any uploaded images contain script tags or javascript: in EXIF fields such as Comment, Artist, or ImageDescription
You are affected if running Serendipity CMS version below 2.1.5 AND media uploads are enabled with images containing unsanitized EXIF metadata present in the Media Library or preview features.
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 data2.1.5
Upgrade to Serendipity 2.1.5 or later which properly sanitizes EXIF data. As a temporary workaround, restrict media upload permissions to highly trusted admin users only.
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing2.0 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 $1,664.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2019-11870 — 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-2019-11870 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
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
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
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data