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Simple EditorApplication · Lg

CVE-2023-40503

HIGH · 7.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-05-03
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
84/100
Remediation priority · High
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
LG Simple Editor saveXmlFile XML External Entity Processing Information Disclosure Vulnerability. This vulnerability allows remote attackers to disclose sensitive information on affected installations of LG Simple Editor. Authentication is not required to exploit this vulnerability. The specific flaw exists within the saveXmlFile method. Due to the improper restriction of XML External Entity (XXE) references, a crafted document specifying a URI causes the XML parser to access the URI and embed the contents back into the XML document for further processing. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to disclose information in the context of SYSTEM. . Was ZDI-CAN-19952.

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

LG Simple Editor contains an XML External Entity (XXE) vulnerability in the saveXmlFile method. The application fails to properly restrict XXE references, allowing attackers to embed malicious external entity declarations in XML documents. When processed, the parser resolves these entities and embeds the contents (potentially sensitive local files or remote resources) back into the XML document, which can then be exfiltrated by the attacker.

MitigationDisable external entity processing in the XML parser configuration and implement secure XML parsing settings that restrict or disable DTD processing. Validate all XML input to ensure it does not contain external entity declarations.

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
Simple EditorApplication
Affected:= 3.21.0

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
None
Availability
None

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

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

  1. Identify LG Simple Editor installation and version
    Locate the LG Simple Editor application files and check the version metadata (version.txt, about dialog, or application manifest) to confirm it is version 3.21.0
    Affected if The installed version is exactly 3.21.0
  2. Determine if XML file save/upload functionality exists
    Locate the application components that handle XML file operations, specifically the saveXmlFile method mentioned in the vulnerability description
    Affected if The saveXmlFile method is present in the codebase and accessible within the application
  3. Check if the application is network-accessible
    Determine whether LG Simple Editor is running as a network service, web application, or exposed API that accepts XML input from remote clients
    Affected if The application accepts XML input over a network without authentication or from untrusted sources
  4. Verify XML parser configuration
    Inspect the XML parser configuration in the application to see if external entity processing and DTD processing are enabled or disabled
    Affected if The XML parser has external entity resolution and DTD processing enabled (vulnerable default state)
  5. Check for application logs indicating XXE processing
    Review application logs for entries related to XML parsing, file loading, or external resource access during XML file operations
    Affected if Logs show successful resolution of external entities or unexpected file access patterns

You are affected if LG Simple Editor version 3.21.0 is installed and the saveXmlFile method is accessible to process untrusted XML input with default parser settings that allow external entity resolution.

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.

From vendor data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Disable external entity processing in the XML parser configuration and implement secure XML parsing settings that restrict or disable DTD processing. Validate all XML input to ensure it does not contain external entity declarations.

Fix this in Simple Editor Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
18.0 hours of engineering $3,200
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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-2023-40503 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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What belongs here
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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