CVE-2023-40502
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 · uneditedLG Simple Editor cropImage Directory Traversal Arbitrary File Deletion Vulnerability. This vulnerability allows remote attackers to delete arbitrary files on affected installations of LG Simple Editor. Authentication is not required to exploit this vulnerability. The specific flaw exists within the implementation of the cropImage command. The issue results from the lack of proper validation of a user-supplied path prior to using it in file operations. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to delete files in the context of SYSTEM. . Was ZDI-CAN-19951.
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 confidenceLG Simple Editor contains a directory traversal vulnerability in the cropImage command that allows unauthenticated remote attackers to delete arbitrary files on the affected system. The vulnerability results from insufficient validation of user-supplied path parameters before using them in file operations, enabling path traversal sequences (e.g., ../../) to escape the intended directory and delete files outside the web root.
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= 3.21.0CVSS 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
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/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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Identify LG Simple Editor installationLocate the LG Simple Editor application files on the system. Check for directories or files named 'Simple Editor', 'lg', or similar LG-related web application components. Search for files with 'simple-editor' or 'lg-simple' in the name.Affected if LG Simple Editor is installed on the system
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Check installed versionInspect the application version file, manifest, or metadata (such as package.json, version.txt, or a config file within the application root) and compare the version number to 3.21.0.Affected if The installed version is exactly 3.21.0
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Locate cropImage functionalitySearch for files containing 'cropImage', 'crop', or image processing functions within the application source code or web root. This may be in a PHP, JSP, or other server-side script.Affected if The cropImage function exists and is accessible within the application
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Verify web service is runningConfirm the LG Simple Editor web application is currently running and accessible via HTTP/HTTPS. Check if the application's web interface or API endpoints are active.Affected if The web service is running and processing requests
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Check for unauthenticated access to cropImage endpointAttempt to access the cropImage command endpoint without authentication. Examine the application routing or URL patterns to determine if the cropImage function is exposed without requiring authentication.Affected if The cropImage endpoint is accessible without authentication
The environment is affected if LG Simple Editor version 3.21.0 is installed and the cropImage command is accessible without authentication, as this allows path traversal for arbitrary file deletion.
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 dataImplement strict path validation in the cropImage function to ensure the user-supplied path resolves within an allowed directory. Reject any path containing traversal sequences (../) and validate that the final resolved path exists within the intended base directory.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-40502 — 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-2023-40502 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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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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