CVE-2023-42248
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 Selesta Visual Access Manager (VAM) prior to 4.42.2. An authenticated attacker can write arbitrary files by manipulating POST parameters of the page "common/vam_Sql.php".
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 confidenceSelesta Visual Access Manager versions prior to 4.42.2 contain an arbitrary file write vulnerability in common/vam_Sql.php. An authenticated attacker can manipulate POST parameters to write files to arbitrary locations on the server, potentially leading to code execution, web shell deployment, or system compromise.
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< 4.42.2CVSS 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
- High
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify the installed Visual Access Manager versionLocate the version file, banner, or admin interface that displays the current software version. This is typically found in the product's about page, a version config file, or in the HTTP Server header response.Affected if The installed version is lower than 4.42.2
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Verify presence of the vulnerable scriptCheck if the file common/vam_Sql.php exists in the web application's installation directory. This file handles SQL operations and contains the file write functionality.Affected if The file common/vam_Sql.php exists and is accessible via the web server
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Confirm authentication is required for the affected endpointReview the authentication configuration and access controls for the common/vam_Sql.php endpoint. Determine if unauthenticated access is possible or if valid credentials are needed.Affected if Authentication is enforced and the attacker has valid credentials to access the vulnerable functionality
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Check for existing unauthorized file modificationsAudit the web server document root and system directories for newly created PHP files, webshells, or modified configuration files that may indicate exploitation.Affected if Unexpected PHP files exist in the web root or config files have been modified without legitimate administrative action
A user is affected if they are running Visual Access Manager version 4.42.1 or earlier with the common/vam_Sql.php file accessible to authenticated users.
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 · scoped4.42.2
Upgrade to Visual Access Manager version 4.42.2 or later. Additionally, implement strict input validation and authorization controls on the affected PHP page to prevent unauthorized file operations.
4.42.2
- Upgrade Visual Access Manager to version 4.42.2 or later
- After upgrading, verify that the 'common/vam_Sql.php' page no longer allows unrestricted file uploads by testing with the POST parameters that were previously exploitable (authenticated testing only)
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing3.0 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 $3,088.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-42248 — 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-2023-42248 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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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