VulnerabilityPublished 18 Dec 2025

CVE-2023-53944: EasyPHP Webserver · Path Traversal

Affects EasyPHP WebserverSource CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 7.1 High.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 10:12 UTC

CVSS 4.0 base score

7.1High

How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

EPSS: 0.9% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 61% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.

CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

Attack Vector: Network
Attack Complexity: Low
Attack Requirements: None
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: None
Vulnerable system confidentiality: High
Vulnerable system integrity: None
Vulnerable system availability: None
Subsequent system confidentiality: None
Subsequent system integrity: None
Subsequent system availability: None

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Vector: Network: The vulnerable system is bound to the network stack and the set of possible attackers extends beyond the other options listed below, up to and including the entire Internet. Such a vulnerability is often termed “remotely exploitable” and can be thought of as an attack being exploitable at the protocol level one or more network hops away (e.g., across one or more routers).
Attack Complexity: Low: The attacker must take no measurable action to exploit the vulnerability. The attack requires no target-specific circumvention to exploit the vulnerability. An attacker can expect repeatable success against the vulnerable system.
Attack Requirements: None: The successful attack does not depend on the deployment and execution conditions of the vulnerable system. The attacker can expect to be able to reach the vulnerability and execute the exploit under all or most instances of the vulnerability.
Privileges Required: Low: The attacker requires privileges that provide basic capabilities that are typically limited to settings and resources owned by a single low-privileged user. Alternatively, an attacker with Low privileges has the ability to access only non-sensitive resources.
User Interaction: None: The vulnerable system can be exploited without interaction from any human user, other than the attacker.
Vulnerable system confidentiality: High: There is a total loss of confidentiality, resulting in all information within the Vulnerable System being divulged to the attacker. Alternatively, access to only some restricted information is obtained, but the disclosed information presents a direct, serious impact. For example, an attacker steals the administrator's password, or private encryption keys of a web server.
Vulnerable system integrity: None: There is no loss of integrity within the Vulnerable System.
Vulnerable system availability: None: There is no impact to availability within the Vulnerable System.
Subsequent system confidentiality: None: There is no loss of confidentiality within the Subsequent System or all confidentiality impact is constrained to the Vulnerable System.
Subsequent system integrity: None: There is no loss of integrity within the Subsequent System or all integrity impact is constrained to the Vulnerable System.
Subsequent system availability: None: There is no impact to availability within the Subsequent System or all availability impact is constrained to the Vulnerable System.

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v4.0 specification.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 18 Dec 2025
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponised: Public exploit code exists in Metasploit or Exploit-DB, or CISA SSVC or the CVSS exploit maturity reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
Easyphp EasyPHP Webserver	Affected =14.1	Fixed in–

AI-suggested

European organizations should immediately audit their environments to identify any instances of EasyPHP Webserver version 14.1. If possible, upgrade to a patched version once available or consider migrating to alternative webserver solutions with active support. In the absence of an official patch, implement strict network-level access controls to restrict access to the EasyPHP Webserver from untrusted sources, ideally limiting it to internal networks or VPNs. Deploy web application firewalls (WAFs) configured to detect and block requests containing encoded directory traversal sequences such as /..%5c..%5c. Enhance input validation mechanisms to normalize and sanitize all incoming URL paths before processing. Monitor server logs for suspicious GET requests that include encoded traversal patterns and investigate any anomalies promptly. Additionally, consider employing file system permissions to restrict the webserver process’s access strictly to the document root and necessary directories, minimizing the impact of any traversal attempts. Regularly review and update security policies and incident response plans to address potential exploitation scenarios related to this vulnerability.

Description

CVE-2023-53944 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in EasyPHP Webserver version 14.1 that allows remote attackers with low privileges to bypass SecurityManager restrictions and access files outside the web root. Exploitation involves sending specially crafted GET requests containing encoded directory traversal sequences such as /.. %5c.. %5c, enabling unauthorized reading of sensitive system files like /windows/win.ini. No user interaction or authentication is required, and the vulnerability has a CVSS 4.0 base score of 7.1, indicating a significant risk. Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the ease of exploitation and potential information disclosure make this a critical concern for affected deployments.

Impact

For European organizations, this vulnerability could lead to unauthorized disclosure of sensitive system and configuration files, potentially exposing credentials, internal configurations, or other critical information. Such data leakage can facilitate subsequent attacks including privilege escalation, lateral movement within networks, or targeted exploitation of disclosed information. Organizations running EasyPHP Webserver 14.1 in development, testing, or production environments are at risk, especially if the server is exposed to untrusted networks or the internet. The impact is heightened in sectors with stringent data protection requirements such as finance, healthcare, and government, where leakage of sensitive information could result in regulatory penalties and reputational damage. Additionally, the ease of exploitation without authentication increases the threat surface, making automated scanning and exploitation plausible. The vulnerability could also undermine trust in web applications hosted on affected servers, impacting business continuity and operational security.

References

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 25 Dec 2025, 21:13 UTC

Technical details

References

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