Security Resilience

CVE-2023-27842

Extplorer 2.1.15

Public PoC
Published
21 March 2023
Modified
26 February 2025
Patch / advisory
View advisory
CVSS Score v3.1 8.8
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS Score 0.024 84th percentile
Risk Priority 84 floored blend · peak EPSS

CVSS and EPSS are reproduced from their sources (NVD, FIRST EPSS). Risk Priority is our own derived reading, not an NVD score.

Summary

CVE-2023-27842 is a high-severity Insecure Inherited Permissions (CWE-277) vulnerability in Extplorer Extplorer. Its CVSS base score is 8.8 (High).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique OS Credential Dumping (T1003); ranked in the top 16% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog; a public proof-of-concept is referenced.

Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary

Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.

CVE-2023-27842 is an insecure permissions vulnerability affecting the index.php component of eXtplorer file manager version 2.1.15. The flaw carries a CVSS 3.1 score of 8.8 and is associated with CWE-277, enabling remote code execution when the component processes requests without adequate permission checks.

A remote attacker with low-privileged access can exploit the issue over the network to achieve arbitrary code execution, resulting in full confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts on the affected installation. The current EPSS score of 0.4515, with a recorded peak of 0.4971, indicates moderate and relatively stable exploitation interest since disclosure.

Public references include a detailed technical write-up, a proof-of-concept repository, and the vendor site hosting the 2.1.15 release archive, though no explicit patch or mitigation guidance is documented in the available sources.

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

Insecure Permissions vulnerability found in Extplorer File manager eXtplorer v.2.1.15 allows a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code via the index.php compenent

CWE(s)
NVD-CWE-noinfoCWE-277

Related Threats

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques

T1003 OS Credential Dumping Credential Access
Adversaries may attempt to dump credentials to obtain account login and credential material, normally in the form of a hash or a clear text password.
attack.mitre.org →
T1007 System Service Discovery Discovery
Adversaries may try to gather information about registered local system services.
attack.mitre.org →
T1008 Fallback Channels Command And Control
Adversaries may use fallback or alternate communication channels if the primary channel is compromised or inaccessible in order to maintain reliable command and control and to avoid data transfer thresholds.
attack.mitre.org →
T1011 Exfiltration Over Other Network Medium Exfiltration
Adversaries may attempt to exfiltrate data over a different network medium than the command and control channel.
attack.mitre.org →
T1011.001 Exfiltration Over Bluetooth Exfiltration
Adversaries may attempt to exfiltrate data over Bluetooth rather than the command and control channel.
attack.mitre.org →
T1012 Query Registry Discovery
Adversaries may interact with the Windows Registry to gather information about the system, configuration, and installed software.
attack.mitre.org →
Derived from this CVE’s CWE(s) via the direct CWE→ATT&CK cross-walk.

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2025-13058Same product: Extplorer Extplorer
CVE-2023-54335Same product: Extplorer Extplorer
CVE-2023-29657Same product: Extplorer Extplorer
CVE-2023-40628Same product: Extplorer Extplorer
CVE-2025-20629Shared CWE-277
CVE-2024-27825Shared CWE-277
CVE-2025-29982Shared CWE-277
CVE-2024-36542Shared CWE-277
CVE-2026-20630Shared CWE-277
CVE-2023-28207Shared CWE-277

Affected Assets

extplorer
extplorer
2.1.15

Mitigating Controls

Control response

Prevent
Stop it (NIST 800-53)

—

Detect
Catch it (NIST detect / respond)

—

Harden
Shrink the surface (DISA STIG)
  • 7 hardening rules · 2 OS baselines
Validate
Prove the fix (OWASP ASVS)

—

Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

PR.AA-05 partial match
blocks

Directly addresses defining and enforcing secure access permissions and least privilege, which prevents insecure inheritance.

PR.PS-01 partial match
blocks

Configuration management practices include establishing secure permission baselines that avoid insecure inheritance.

PR.PS-06 partial match
blocks

Secure SDLC practices would catch and prevent defining insecure inherited permissions during development.

Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

A.5.30 ICT readiness for business continuity partial match
removes
A.8.19 Installation of software on operational systems partial match
removes
A.8.2 Privileged access rights partial match
degrades

Privileged access rights management can limit inheritance of excessive permissions but does not directly address insecure default permission inheritance.

A.8.25 Secure development life cycle partial match
blocks

Secure development lifecycle practices can include permission model reviews but do not guarantee secure inherited permissions.

A.8.26 Application security requirements partial match
removes
A.8.27 Secure system architecture and engineering principles partial match
blocks

A.8.27 mandates security-by-design principles (least privilege, default deny, secure defaults, hardening, zero-trust) that reach inherited-permission flaws when they are designed into new objects, but leaves a bounded remainder of existing/inherited objects created outside those principles or in legacy code.

Hardening callouts derived

Configuration rules from DISA STIG baselines that bear on weaknesses of the type cited by this CVE. Each rule is shown with the relationship its mapping actually records, against the CWE it was authored against. Derived via CVE→CWE over `controls_xwalks` (higher-evidence rows only; rows rated `none` are excluded).

Windows Server 2016 (2 rules)
  • V-224974 Domain-created Active Directory Organizational Unit (OU) objects must have proper access control permissions. blocks CWE-277
  • V-224972 Active Directory Group Policy objects must have proper access control permissions. blocks CWE-277
Windows Server 2019 (2 rules)
  • V-205743 Windows Server 2019 organization created Active Directory Organizational Unit (OU) objects must have proper access control permissions. blocks CWE-277
  • V-205741 Windows Server 2019 Active Directory Group Policy objects must have proper access control permissions. blocks CWE-277

References