CVE-2020-15623
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 write arbitrary files on affected installations of CentOS Web Panel cwp-e17.0.9.8.923. Authentication is not required to exploit this vulnerability. The specific flaw exists within ajax_mod_security.php. When parsing the archivo parameter, the process does not properly validate a user-supplied path prior to using it in file operations. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of root. Was ZDI-CAN-9722.
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 confidenceUnauthenticated remote attackers can write arbitrary files on CentOS Web Panel installations via the ajax_mod_security.php script. The vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of the 'archivo' parameter before using it in file operations, allowing path traversal and arbitrary file writes that can be leveraged to achieve root-level code execution.
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= 0.9.8.923CVSS 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:3.1/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Confirm CentOS Web Panel installationLocate CentOS Web Panel installation by identifying its characteristic directories or services (e.g., look for cwp-related processes, services, or installation paths common to this control panel)Affected if CentOS Web Panel is installed on the system
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Identify installed CWP versionUse the CWP version check command or file that reports the Control Web Panel version (commonly available via CWP admin interface or version files in the installation directory)Affected if The installed version is exactly 0.9.8.923
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Locate the vulnerable ajax_mod_security.php scriptSearch for ajax_mod_security.php within the web server document root or CWP's web directoriesAffected if The file ajax_mod_security.php exists on the server
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Verify script is web-accessibleAttempt to access ajax_mod_security.php via HTTP/HTTPS from the server's configured web URL (e.g., http://<hostname>/ajax_mod_security.php or similar path based on CWP's web structure)Affected if The script responds to web requests without requiring authentication
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Check 'archivo' parameter handling (optional code review)If source code is available, inspect ajax_mod_security.php to verify whether the 'archivo' parameter undergoes proper validation and sanitization before file operationsAffected if No input validation exists on the 'archivo' parameter, allowing arbitrary file paths
The environment is affected if CentOS Web Panel version 0.9.8.923 is installed and the ajax_mod_security.php script is web-accessible without authentication.
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 dataApply vendor patches if available; alternatively, temporarily disable or restrict access to ajax_mod_security.php via web server configuration until a patch is deployed, and implement strict input validation on the 'archivo' parameter to enforce allowlist behavior.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2020-15623 — 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-2020-15623 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
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