CVE-2020-5683
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 · uneditedDirectory traversal vulnerability in GROWI versions prior to v4.2.3 (v4.2 Series), GROWI versions prior to v4.1.12 (v4.1 Series), and GROWI v3 series and earlier GROWI versions prior to v4.2.3 (v4.2 Series), GROWI versions prior to v4.1.12 (v4.1 Series), and GROWI v3 series and earlier allows remote attackers to alter the data by uploading a specially crafted file.
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 confidenceA directory traversal vulnerability in GROWI's file upload functionality allows remote attackers to write files outside the intended upload directory by using specially crafted file paths containing '../' sequences, enabling unauthorized data alteration.
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<= 3.8.2>= 4.1.0, < 4.1.12>= 4.2.0, < 4.2.3CVSS 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
- None
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/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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Check installed GROWI versionAccess the GROWI administration panel and navigate to the 'About' or 'Version' page, or inspect the package.json file in the GROWI installation directory to find the version numberAffected if The installed version is <= 3.8.2, OR >= 4.1.0 and < 4.1.12, OR >= 4.2.0 and < 4.2.3
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Verify file upload functionality is enabledCheck the GROWI configuration settings or administration panel for the file upload/upload attachment feature. Inspect configuration files or environment variables that control whether file uploads are permittedAffected if File upload functionality is enabled and accessible to users
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Confirm upload directory configurationExamine the GROWI configuration for the upload directory path setting. Look for parameters controlling where uploaded files are stored (often found in config files or environment variables like FILE_UPLOAD or similar)Affected if The upload directory is set to a path that could be escaped using '../' sequences, or no path restrictions are configured
You are affected if GROWI is running a version within the affected ranges AND the file upload feature is enabled, allowing potential directory traversal via crafted filename sequences.
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 data4.1.124.2.3
Upgrade to GROWI v4.2.3, v4.1.12, or later versions which contain the patch; alternatively, restrict file upload permissions to trusted users and implement additional path validation on uploaded filenames.
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing3.0 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 $3,408.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2020-5683 — 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-2020-5683 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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