CVE-2022-28005
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 the 3CX Phone System Management Console prior to version 18 Update 3 FINAL. An unauthenticated attacker could abuse improperly secured access to arbitrary files on the server (via /Electron/download directory traversal in conjunction with a path component that uses backslash characters), leading to cleartext credential disclosure. Afterwards, the authenticated attacker is able to upload a file that overwrites a 3CX service binary, leading to Remote Code Execution as NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM on Windows installations. NOTE: this issue exists because of an incomplete fix for CVE-2022-48482.
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 confidencePath traversal vulnerability in 3CX Phone System Management Console allows unauthenticated attackers to read arbitrary files via /Electron/download endpoint using backslash characters in the path. This enables cleartext credential disclosure, after which an authenticated attacker can upload a malicious file overwriting a service binary to achieve remote code execution as NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM.
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<= 18.0.3.450CVSS 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.
-
Identify if 3CX Phone System is installedCheck for 3CX Phone System processes running or look for 3CX installation directories on the server. Common installation paths may include C:\Program Files\3CX\ or /var/lib/3CX/ on Linux.Affected if 3CX Phone System Management Console is present on the server
-
Determine the installed 3CX versionLocate the 3CX installation and check the version information, typically found in the application itself, installer metadata, or system registry if on Windows. Compare your version against the affected range: 18.0.3.450 and earlier.Affected if The installed version is 18.0.3.450 or any earlier version
-
Verify the Management Console is network accessibleConfirm that the 3CX Management Console web interface is exposed to the network. The vulnerable endpoint is /Electron/download.Affected if The Management Console is accessible over the network and the /Electron/download endpoint responds to requests
-
Review access logs for path traversal attemptsExamine web server logs for the 3CX Management Console, looking for requests to /Electron/download with backslash characters or ../ sequences that may indicate exploitation attempts.Affected if Log entries show suspicious requests to /Electron/download with path traversal patterns
A system is affected if it runs 3CX Phone System version 18.0.3.450 or earlier with the Management Console network interface exposed.
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.
dbcve · scopedUpgrade to 3CX version 18 Update 3 FINAL or later to address the path traversal and incomplete fix from CVE-2022-48482. Review system access logs for indicators of compromise.
3CX version 18 Update 3 FINAL or later
- Back up the current 3CX configuration and database before proceeding with the upgrade
- Stop all 3CX services running on the server
- Download 3CX version 18 Update 3 FINAL (or the latest stable version) from the official 3CX website at www.3cx.com
- Run the installer to upgrade the 3CX Phone System to the fixed version
- After the upgrade completes, verify the installed version shows 18 Update 3 FINAL or later
- Start all 3CX services and verify they are running correctly
- Test that the Management Console is accessible and the directory traversal vulnerability is no longer present
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 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 $5,600.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2022-28005 — 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-2022-28005 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