dbcve.org
Path TraversalWeakness · CWE-22

CVE-2023-38399

HIGH · 8.6 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-05-17
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
95/100
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
Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal') vulnerability in Averta Phlox Portfolio allows PHP Local File Inclusion.This issue affects Phlox Portfolio: from n/a through 2.3.1.

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 confidence

Path traversal vulnerability in Averta Phlox Portfolio plugin (versions through 2.3.1) allows attackers to manipulate file paths in PHP include statements, potentially enabling arbitrary code execution through local file inclusion or reading sensitive system files.

MitigationUpdate to the latest patched version of Phlox Portfolio; if no patch exists, disable the plugin. Implement strict input validation using basename() and realpath() to sanitize file path inputs before use in include/require statements.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

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
Low
Availability
Low

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:L/A:L

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. Verify Phlox Portfolio plugin is installed
    Locate the plugin in wp-content/plugins/ directory or check via WordPress admin plugins list
    Affected if Plugin folder named 'phlox-portfolio' or similar variant exists on the server
  2. Identify installed plugin version
    Check plugin header in main PHP file (usually phlox-portfolio.php) or read version from WordPress plugin API / readme.txt
    Affected if Version number is 2.3.1 or lower (any version through 2.3.1)
  3. Locate vulnerable include/require code
    Search plugin PHP files for include/require statements using variable parameters (e.g., include($_GET['file'], include($path, etc.)
    Affected if Any PHP file in the plugin contains dynamic includes using unsanitized user input
  4. Check for unauthorized files
    Inspect wp-content/uploads/ and plugin directory for unfamiliar .php files, webshells, or recently modified scripts
    Affected if Unknown PHP files exist or timestamps show recent unauthorized modifications

Your environment is affected if the Averta Phlox Portfolio plugin version is 2.3.1 or lower AND the plugin files contain dynamic include/require statements that accept user-controlled path parameters.

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
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Update to the latest patched version of Phlox Portfolio; if no patch exists, disable the plugin. Implement strict input validation using basename() and realpath() to sanitize file path inputs before use in include/require statements.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Phlox Portfolio 2.3.2 or later (verify exact fixed version from vendor)

  1. Check the WordPress theme repository or Averta's official website for the latest version of Phlox Portfolio
  2. Verify that version 2.3.2 or later is available and includes the security fix for CVE-2023-38399
  3. Backup your WordPress site before performing any updates
  4. Update Phlox Portfolio to the latest version through WordPress admin or by downloading from the official source
  5. Verify the update was successful and test the site functionality
Caveat Review changelog for any breaking changes between 2.3.1 and the fixed version before upgrading

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

Have this fixed Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation3.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
8.0 hours of engineering $1,420
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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-2023-38399 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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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
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