dbcve.org
Learning Management SystemsApplication · Fernus

CVE-2023-1728

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-04-04
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 23.04.03 or later.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

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 · unedited
Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type vulnerability in Fernus Informatics LMS allows OS Command Injection, Server Side Include (SSI) Injection. This issue affects LMS: before 23.04.03.

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 confidence

This is an unrestricted file upload vulnerability in Fernus Informatics LMS versions before 23.04.03. The application fails to properly validate uploaded file types, allowing attackers to upload executable files (such as web shells) that enable OS command injection and Server Side Include (SSI) injection. Combined, these attack vectors provide remote code execution on the server.

MitigationUpgrade Fernus Informatics LMS to version 23.04.03 or later. Additionally, implement proper file upload validation including file type whitelisting, MIME type checking, content-based validation, and store uploads outside web-accessible directories with random filenames.

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
Learning Management SystemsApplication
Affected:< 23.04.03

CVSS 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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify if Fernus LMS is installed
    Search for Fernus-related files, directories, or application signatures on the server. Look for common web application directories or check installed packages if using a package manager.
    Affected if Fernus Informatics LMS is present on the system
  2. Determine the installed Fernus LMS version
    Locate the version file, about page, or application metadata that displays the current version number. Compare it against the affected range of versions before 23.04.03.
    Affected if The installed version is lower than 23.04.03 (e.g., 23.04.02, 22.x.x, etc.)
  3. Verify if file upload functionality is enabled
    Check the application's configuration settings or user permissions panel to confirm whether file upload features are available to users. Review the web server configuration for upload-related endpoints.
    Affected if File upload capability is enabled and accessible to users
  4. Inspect web-accessible directories for suspicious files
    Examine folders where uploaded files are stored (commonly /uploads, /attachments, /files, or similar) for unfamiliar file types, especially .php, .phtml, .html, .asp, .aspx, .exe, or script files with unusual names.
    Affected if Executable files, web shells, or suspicious scripts are found in upload directories

The environment is affected if Fernus Informatics LMS is installed with a version prior to 23.04.03 and the file upload feature is enabled.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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 · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 23.04.03 or later
Fixed in 23.04.03
Interim mitigation

Upgrade Fernus Informatics LMS to version 23.04.03 or later. Additionally, implement proper file upload validation including file type whitelisting, MIME type checking, content-based validation, and store uploads outside web-accessible directories with random filenames.

Recommended fix High confidence

23.04.03

  1. 1. Identify the current version of Fernus Informatics LMS currently installed
  2. 2. Review the LMS vendor's official release notes and documentation for version 23.04.03
  3. 3. Before upgrading, perform a complete backup of the LMS database, configuration files, and uploaded content
  4. 4. Test the upgrade in a staging or development environment first
  5. 5. Apply the upgrade to production environment, upgrading to version 23.04.03 or the latest stable release
  6. 6. Verify the upgrade was successful by checking the LMS version information
  7. 7. Test file upload functionality to confirm the vulnerability is remediated
  8. 8. Monitor system logs for any suspicious activity

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Learning Management Systems Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA3.0 h
16.0 hours of engineering $2,760
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,416.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-1728 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.

Get it on GitHub Scan in the browser

References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2023-1728 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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.

What this is

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.

What belongs here
  • 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