CVE-2026-33698
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 · uneditedChamilo LMS is a learning management system. Prior to 1.11.38, a chained attack can enable otherwise-blocked PHP code from the main/install/ directory and allow an unauthenticated attacker to modify existing files or create new files where allowed by system permissions. This only affects portals with the main/install/ directory still present and read-accessible. This vulnerability is fixed in 1.11.38.
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 confidenceChamilo LMS versions prior to 1.11.38 contain a chained attack vector where the presence of the main/install/ directory (which should be removed post-installation) allows unauthenticated attackers to bypass security controls and execute PHP code, enabling modification of existing files or creation of new files on the server where permissions allow.
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< 1.11.38CVSS 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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Verify main/install/ directory presenceCheck if the 'main/install/' directory exists in the web root of the Chamilo installation. This can be done via file system inspection (ls, dir, or file manager) or by attempting to access http(s)://your-chamilo-site/main/install/ via a web request.Affected if The main/install/ directory exists on the server - this is the primary condition that enables the attack vector.
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Identify installed Chamilo LMS versionLocate the version file or configuration. Common locations include: a 'version.php' file in the main directory, a 'changelog.txt' file, or the database configuration. Check the header of main/inc/lib.php or similar core files for a version constant. Alternatively, access the admin panel if available and look for system information or about page.Affected if The installed version is below 1.11.38 (e.g., 1.11.36, 1.11.37, or any 1.11.x version prior to 1.11.38).
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Cross-check version against vulnerable rangeCompare your identified version number against the affected range. Versions prior to 1.11.38 are vulnerable when combined with the presence of the install directory.Affected if Both conditions are true: (1) main/install/ directory exists AND (2) version is below 1.11.38.
You are affected if the main/install/ directory remains present on the server AND your Chamilo LMS version is lower than 1.11.38 - both conditions must be true for the vulnerability to be exploitable.
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.
dbcve · scoped1.11.38
Remove the main/install/ directory from production deployments and upgrade to Chamilo LMS version 1.11.38 or later.
1.11.38
- Upgrade Chamilo LMS to version 1.11.38 or later by following the official upgrade documentation
- After upgrading, verify the installation completed successfully by logging into the admin panel
- As a defense-in-depth measure, remove the main/install/ directory if it still exists after upgrade (this directory should not be present in production)
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation1.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2026-33698 — 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-2026-33698 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