Authenticated command execution via unrestricted .phar upload
Published Dec 17, 2025 · Updated Dec 17, 2025
Unrestricted file upload in Serendipity 2.4.0 allows remote authenticated users to execute arbitrary server commands via a .phar file. The media-library upload action accepts a PHP-bearing .phar category image and stores it under the web-accessible uploads path without blocking the dangerous type. A valid backend session and CSRF token are required; requesting the stored file executes its PHP payload with the web server's privileges.
Summary
What happened
Unrestricted file upload in Serendipity 2.4.0 allows remote authenticated users to execute arbitrary server commands via a .phar file. The media-library upload action accepts a PHP-bearing .phar category image and stores it under the web-accessible uploads path without blocking the dangerous type. A valid backend session and CSRF token are required; requesting the stored file executes its PHP payload with the web server's privileges.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2023-53933
- Published
- Dec 17, 2025
- Updated
- Dec 17, 2025
- Vendor
- Serendipity Team
- Product
- Serendipity
- Classifications
- CWE-434, T1505.003
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Dec 17, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Dec 17, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
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- Affected versionversion=2.4.0
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- Serendipity 2.4.0 authenticated .phar upload RCE proof of conceptproof of concept · demonstrated
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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