ExtplorerApplication

CVE-2023-54335

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-01-13
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 2.1.14 or later.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Public exploit 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
eXtplorer 2.1.14 contains an authentication bypass vulnerability that allows attackers to login without a password by manipulating the login request. Attackers can exploit this flaw to upload malicious PHP files and execute remote commands on the vulnerable file management system.

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

eXtplorer 2.1.14 has an authentication bypass vulnerability where attackers can login without a password by manipulating the login request. Once authenticated, they can upload malicious PHP files and execute remote commands on the server.

MitigationUpgrade eXtplorer to the latest patched version. If immediate patching is not possible, disable the application, restrict network access, or implement additional authentication controls such as web application firewall rules or IP-based restrictions.

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
ExtplorerApplication
Affected:<= 2.1.14

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
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 checks

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

  1. Identify if eXtplorer is installed
    Search for eXtplorer files in your web root directories. Common locations include /extplorer/, /administrator/components/com_extplorer/, or look for 'eXtplorer' or 'extplorer' directories in your web application folder structure.
    Affected if eXtplorer is present on the server in any directory.
  2. Check the installed eXtplorer version
    Locate the version file or header within the eXtplorer installation. Common places include a version.php file, a config file, or the main index.php which often displays the version. Compare the found version to the affected range: <= 2.1.14.
    Affected if The installed version is 2.1.14 or lower.
  3. Verify network exposure of eXtplorer
    Determine if the eXtplorer application is accessible from the network by attempting to access its login page via HTTP/HTTPS from an external host, or by reviewing firewall and web server configurations that expose the application.
    Affected if The eXtplorer login page is accessible from untrusted networks.
  4. Inspect for suspicious PHP files in upload directories
    Search for newly created PHP files in eXtplorer upload directories, typically under the 'files' or 'home' folders within the eXtplorer installation. Review file creation dates around the time of potential compromise.
    Affected if Unexpected PHP files exist in eXtplorer upload directories, especially files not created by legitimate administrators.
  5. Review eXtplorer user accounts for unauthorized access
    Check the eXtplorer user configuration database or user files for added or modified administrator accounts that were not created by legitimate administrators.
    Affected if Unexpected user accounts exist in eXtplorer, or known administrator accounts show suspicious login activity.

A server is affected if eXtplorer version 2.1.14 or lower is installed and accessible over the network, allowing remote attackers to bypass authentication and upload files.

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
Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 2.1.14
Interim mitigation

Upgrade eXtplorer to the latest patched version. If immediate patching is not possible, disable the application, restrict network access, or implement additional authentication controls such as web application firewall rules or IP-based restrictions.

Fix this in Extplorer Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation1.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
6.0 hours of engineering $1,060
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,696.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-54335 — 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 sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2023-54335 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.

What this is

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.

What belongs here
  • 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