CVE-2023-45188
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 · uneditedIBM Engineering Lifecycle Optimization Publishing 7.0.2 and 7.03 could allow a remote attacker to upload arbitrary files, caused by the improper validation of file extensions. By sending a specially crafted request, a remote attacker could exploit this vulnerability to upload a malicious file, which could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary code on the vulnerable system. IBM X-Force ID: 268751.
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 confidenceIBM Engineering Lifecycle Optimization Publishing 7.0.2 and 7.03 contains a file upload vulnerability where improper validation of file extensions allows remote attackers to upload arbitrary files. The lack of proper extension and content-type validation enables uploading of malicious executables that can lead to remote code execution.
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= 7.0.2= 7.0.3CVSS 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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify the installed version of IBM Engineering Lifecycle Optimization PublishingLocate the product version through the administrative console, about page, or installation metadata files. Common locations include the administration dashboard, version.info file, or product-specific diagnostics.Affected if The installed version is 7.0.2 or 7.0.3
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Locate the file upload functionalityIdentify which endpoints or modules handle file uploads in the application. Review the web application's routing configuration, upload forms, or API endpoints that accept file submissions.Affected if File upload endpoints exist and are accessible without administrative privileges
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Verify file extension validation is missing or weakTest the upload mechanism by attempting to upload files with executable extensions such as .php, .jsp, .asp, .exe, or .sh. Observe whether the system accepts these extensions without rejection or validation warnings.Affected if The system accepts file extensions that should be blocked by proper validation (e.g., .php, .jsp, .exe, .sh)
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Check if uploaded files can be executedIf files are accepted, determine whether the upload directory permits script execution. Review web server configuration (such as web.xml or equivalent) for the upload directory's handler mappings.Affected if Uploaded files with executable extensions can be retrieved and executed from the upload directory
Your environment is affected if you are running version 7.0.2 or 7.0.3 and the file upload feature accepts and stores files with dangerous extensions that can be executed.
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 allowlist-based file extension validation combined with magic-byte/file content validation. Restrict upload directory permissions and disable script execution. Apply vendor patch when available.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing4.0 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 $5,120.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-45188 — 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-2023-45188 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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- 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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