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ContaoApplication

CVE-2024-45398

HIGH · 8.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-09-17
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 4.13.49 / 5.3.15 or later.
See remediation →
94/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable 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
Contao is an Open Source CMS. In affected versions a back end user with access to the file manager can upload malicious files and execute them on the server. Users are advised to update to Contao 4.13.49, 5.3.15 or 5.4.3. Users unable to update are advised to configure their web server so it does not execute PHP files and other scripts in the Contao file upload directory.

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

Contao CMS contains a file upload vulnerability where authenticated back end users with file manager access can upload malicious files (including PHP scripts) to the server and execute them, achieving remote code execution. The vulnerability requires user authentication but allows complete server compromise.

MitigationUpdate Contao to version 4.13.49, 5.3.15, or 5.4.3. If updating is not possible, configure the web server to disable script execution (PHP and other handlers) in the file upload directory.

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
ContaoApplication
Affected:>= 4.0.0, < 4.13.49>= 5.0.0, < 5.3.15>= 5.4.0, < 5.4.3

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
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/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. Determine installed Contao version
    Check the composer.json file in the web root for the contao/contao package version, or log into the Contao backend and navigate to System > Settings to view the installed version information.
    Affected if The installed version falls within < 4.13.49 for 4.x versions, < 5.3.15 for 5.0-5.3 versions, or < 5.4.3 for 5.4+ versions.
  2. Verify backend user file manager access
    In the Contao backend, go to Users > Groups (or Users > Users) and check if any user or group has the File manager permission (file operation permissions) enabled under their access rights.
    Affected if Any backend user account has file manager or file operation permissions granted.
  3. Inspect upload directories for suspicious files
    Examine the files/ directory (or custom upload directories) using the file system: find /path/to/webroot/files -type f -name '*.php' (or similar script extensions). Check for unexpected PHP, CGI, or executable files.
    Affected if Any PHP, CGI, or script files exist in the upload directories, especially if they were not intentionally placed there by an administrator.
  4. Check web server script execution configuration
    Inspect the Apache .htaccess file or nginx server configuration for the files/ directory (or upload directories). Look for directives like 'php_flag engine off', 'RemoveHandler .php', or location blocks that deny script execution.
    Affected if The web server allows PHP or script execution (no DisableFunctions or equivalent restrictions) in the files/ upload directory.

You are affected if your Contao version is below the fixed releases AND any backend user has file manager access AND the web server does not block script execution in upload directories.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 4.13.49 / 5.3.15 / 5.4.3 or later
Fixed in 4.13.495.3.155.4.3
Interim mitigation

Update Contao to version 4.13.49, 5.3.15, or 5.4.3. If updating is not possible, configure the web server to disable script execution (PHP and other handlers) in the file upload directory.

Recommended fix High confidence

Contao 4.13.49 (for 4.x) or Contao 5.3.15 (for 5.0-5.3.x) or Contao 5.4.3 (for 5.4.x)

  1. Identify your current Contao major version (4.x, 5.0-5.3.x, or 5.4.x)
  2. Upgrade to Contao 4.13.49 if running version 4.x (>=4.0.0 and <4.13.49)
  3. Upgrade to Contao 5.3.15 if running version 5.0-5.3.x (>=5.0.0 and <5.3.15)
  4. Upgrade to Contao 5.4.3 if running version 5.4.x (>=5.4.0 and <5.4.3)
  5. After upgrade, verify the file manager upload functionality works correctly
  6. For environments where upgrade is not possible: Configure the web server (Apache/Nginx) to disable script execution in the files/ upload directory (e.g., using FilesMatch or location directives to deny execution of .php, .phtml, .php7, .php8, .cgi, .pl, .exe, .sh, .bat files)
Caveat Review Contao release notes before upgrading; minor version updates typically have low risk but test in staging first

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Contao Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
9.0 hours of engineering $1,600
Get the upgrade done

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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-2024-45398 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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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