CVE-2023-53980
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 · uneditedProjectSend r1605 contains a remote code execution vulnerability that allows attackers to upload malicious files by manipulating file extensions. Attackers can upload shell scripts with disguised extensions through the upload.process.php endpoint to execute arbitrary commands on the server.
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 confidenceProjectSend r1605 contains an unrestricted file upload vulnerability in upload.process.php that allows unauthenticated attackers to upload malicious shell scripts by manipulating file extensions. The uploaded files can be executed directly, leading to arbitrary command execution on the server.
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= r1605CVSS 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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Confirm ProjectSend installationSearch for ProjectSend files on the server, typically in web root directories like /var/www/html or C:\inetpub\wwwroot. Look for directories named 'projectsend' or files containing 'ProjectSend' in headers.Affected if ProjectSend software is found on the server
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Identify ProjectSend versionCheck the version file or changelog within the ProjectSend installation directory. Common locations include version.php, changelog.txt, or the footer/meta of index.php. Compare the version number to r1605.Affected if The installed version is exactly r1605
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Locate upload-process.phpFind the file upload-process.php within the ProjectSend installation, typically under /includes/ or /process/ directories.Affected if The file upload-process.php exists and is accessible via the web server
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Verify upload directory is web-accessibleCheck the configuration for upload paths (often in config.php or options). Determine if uploaded files are stored within the web root where they can be directly accessed via URL.Affected if Uploads are stored inside the web-accessible directory and can be executed directly via browser
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Check if script execution is disabled in upload directoriesReview .htaccess (Apache) or nginx configuration for the upload directories. Look for directives like 'php_flag engine off' or 'deny from all' for script execution.Affected if No restrictions are configured to prevent script execution in upload directories
You are affected if ProjectSend r1605 is installed, the upload-process.php file exists, and uploaded files are stored in a web-accessible location without script execution restrictions.
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 content-type verification, store uploads outside the webroot, and disable script execution in upload directories.
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation6.0 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 $3,984.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-53980 — 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-2023-53980 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