CVE-2023-40497
Path Traversal in Lg Simple Editor 3.21.0
Raw vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HCVSS and EPSS are reproduced from their sources (NVD, FIRST EPSS). Risk Priority is our own derived reading, not an NVD score.
Summary
CVE-2023-40497 is a critical-severity Path Traversal (CWE-22) vulnerability in Lg Simple Editor. Its CVSS base score is 9.8 (Critical).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Data Obfuscation (T1001); ranked in the top 0.6% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
The strongest mitigations our analysis identified map to AC-3 (Access Enforcement) and SI-10 (Information Input Validation) — see the control section below for these in your framework.
Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary
Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.
LG Simple Editor is affected by CVE-2023-40497, a directory traversal vulnerability in the saveXml command inside the makeDetailContent method. The flaw stems from missing validation of user-supplied paths before they are used in file operations, enabling remote code execution with SYSTEM privileges on vulnerable installations.
Unauthenticated remote attackers can exploit the issue over the network to run arbitrary code in the context of the SYSTEM account, achieving full control of the target system. The vulnerability carries a CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.8 and was originally reported as ZDI-CAN-19924.
The Zero Day Initiative advisory ZDI-23-1203 documents the flaw, though the available references do not detail specific patches or mitigation steps. The EPSS score has reached 0.3658 with no material change from its peak value.
OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2023-45068
Vulnerability Data
LG Simple Editor saveXml Directory Traversal Remote Code Execution Vulnerability. This vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected installations of LG Simple Editor. Authentication is not required to exploit this vulnerability. The specific flaw exists within the…
more
saveXml command implemented in the makeDetailContent method. The issue results from the lack of proper validation of a user-supplied path prior to using it in file operations. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of SYSTEM. . Was ZDI-CAN-19924.
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Control response
—
—
—
V5.3.2
Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI
Enforces the intended directory access authorizations that path traversal would otherwise bypass.
Input validation directly neutralizes special path elements before pathname construction occurs.
Least privilege reduces the impact of any unauthorized file access obtained via traversal.
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.
Patching/maintenance can remediate known path-traversal flaws in deployed software (partial prevention of exploitability) but does nothing to stop the coding defect from being introduced in the first place.
PR.AA-05 defines and reviews access policies but does not address code-level pathname neutralization, so neither direction prevents CWE-22.
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.