Unrestricted File UploadWeakness · CWE-434

CVE-2024-52403

CRITICAL · 9.9 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-11-16
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
100/100
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
Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type vulnerability in Saad Iqbal User Management user-management allows Upload a Web Shell to a Web Server.This issue affects User Management: from n/a through <= 1.1.

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

Unrestricted file upload vulnerability in Saad Iqbal User Management plugin (versions <= 1.1) allows authenticated attackers to upload malicious files, specifically web shells, directly to the web server without proper validation of file types or content. This can lead to remote code execution.

MitigationImplement strict server-side file type validation using a whitelist approach, store uploaded files outside the web root, disable script execution in upload directories, and rename uploaded files to prevent direct access to executable extensions.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

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
Changed
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/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 the User Management system in use
    Check application source code, package.json, or deployed files for 'Saad Iqbal' or 'User Management' references. Look for project name, author, or copyright notices in the application.
    Affected if The application is Saad Iqbal's User Management system and file upload functionality is present.
  2. Locate the file upload functionality
    Search for upload-related code: look for 'multipart/form-data' handlers, file input forms, and upload endpoint handlers (often in routes, controllers, or handlers). Check for terms like 'upload', 'file', 'avatar', 'profile picture'.
    Affected if File upload endpoints exist and accept user-submitted files without obvious validation.
  3. Verify installed version against affected releases
    Check package.json, composer.json, or version files in the application root. Compare the version string to any publicly disclosed vulnerable versions.
    Affected if The version is older than any patched release or has no known fixed version.
  4. Inspect file upload validation logic
    Examine the upload handler code for file type validation (extension allowlist, MIME type checking) and content validation (magic byte/header inspection). Look for functions that check 'Content-Type', file extension whitelist, or file content before saving.
    Affected if No file type or content validation is implemented, or validation relies solely on client-side checks or simple extension matching.
  5. Check upload directory configuration
    Determine where uploaded files are stored. Verify if the upload directory is within the webroot and whether script execution is disabled (e.g., no .htaccess restrictions, not using AddHandler or SetHandler directives).
    Affected if Uploaded files are stored in a web-accessible directory and script execution is not explicitly disabled.

You are affected if you are running Saad Iqbal's User Management system with file upload enabled and the application lacks server-side file type/content validation before saving 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
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Implement strict server-side file type validation using a whitelist approach, store uploaded files outside the web root, disable script execution in upload directories, and rename uploaded files to prevent direct access to executable extensions.

Have this fixed Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
21.0 hours of engineering $3,660
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Scan for this in your stack

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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-2024-52403 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