Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessAuthenticate as administrator
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DeliverySend HTTP request to initInstall function
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ExploitManipulate path parameter with unauthorized value
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ExecutionBypass authorization check
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PersistModify system initialization state
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ImpactAchieve integrity compromise
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A01:2025 - Broken Access Control
ASVS 5.0
V8 - Authorization Object-level authorization, IDOR prevention
|
| Exploitation Conditions | Exploitation requires the attacker to be an authenticated user with high privileges (PR:H) - specifically, an administrator or user with access to the systemMember controller. The initInstall function must be reachable over the network (AV:N), and no user interaction is required (UI:N). The vulnerability does not depend on non-default configuration; it is present in standard KodExplorer installations up to version 4.52. The limiting factor is the requirement for high-privilege authentication; this prevents remote unauthenticated exploitation but does not prevent lateral movement or privilege escalation within the application by existing privileged accounts. The vulnerability is most exploitable in shared-administration scenarios where multiple administrators exist or where former administrators retain access. Single-administrator deployments are lower-risk but still vulnerable if the administrator account is compromised or if the administrator is malicious. |
| Impact | The risk profile presents a notable discrepancy between the CVSS score and real-world exploitability. While the CVSS 2.7 score is very low, this reflects two critical limiting factors: (1) the attacker requires PR:H (high privilege level - likely administrator or advanced user), and (2) the integrity impact (I:L) is limited. However, several aggravating signals elevate practical risk: The Environmental modifier (E:P) indicates proof-of-concept code exists in the wild, the Reliability (RC:R) rating suggests reproducibility is reasonable, and the attack vector is network-based (AV:N) with low complexity (AC:L). The authorization bypass nature of the vulnerability is particularly concerning for multi-tenant or shared-access deployments where a high-privileged user (e.g., administrator) could bypass controls to access restricted functions or modify system initialization settings. The CVSS score underrepresents risk because it only counts integrity impact, but initialization functions often control critical application state, user creation, or security configuration. The lack of vendor response and public exploit availability means defenders have no patched version to upgrade toward and must implement workarounds. For organizations running KodExplorer with multiple administrators or in shared-user environments, this vulnerability should be treated as a privilege-escalation or lateral-movement risk, not a low-priority issue. Organizations with single-admin deployments or air-gapped instances face lower practical risk but still warrant incident monitoring. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An authenticated administrator with high-privilege credentials logs into KodExplorer and crafts a malicious HTTP request to the initInstall function, manipulating the path parameter to values outside the intended scope (e.g., traversal sequences or unvalidated identifiers). The application fails to re-validate authorization for the manipulated path, allowing the administrator to bypass intended access restrictions and modify system initialization settings, such as user account creation, permission configuration, or feature activation. This could enable the attacker to create unauthorized administrative accounts, disable security features, or alter system metadata. The public exploit code simplifies this attack, reducing the barrier to exploitation for attackers with administrative credentials. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Apr 19, 2026
Remote authorization bypass in KodCloud KodExplorer up to version 4.52 allows high-privileged authenticated attackers to manipulate the path argument in the initInstall function (/app/controller/systemMember.class.php), resulting in integrity compromise. The exploit code is publicly available, and the vendor has not responded to early disclosure notifications, leaving deployed instances vulnerable without official remediation guidance.
RemediationAI
No vendor-released patch has been identified at time of analysis, as KodCloud did not respond to early disclosure notifications. Immediate remediation options are limited: (1) If possible, upgrade to any version newer than 4.52 once it becomes available and its security status is verified independently, as the vulnerability is explicitly stated to affect versions "up to 4.52." (2) As a compensating control, restrict network access to the /app/controller/systemMember.class.php endpoint and the initInstall function via web application firewall (WAF) rules or reverse proxy, blocking requests to paths containing 'initInstall' or 'systemMember' from untrusted networks - this reduces attack surface but does not prevent exploitation by authenticated administrators with legitimate access. (3) Limit administrative account creation and enforce role-based access control (RBAC) to minimize the number of high-privilege users who can exploit this flaw; audit administrative actions and monitor logs for manipulation of the path parameter in systemMember requests. (4) In high-security environments, isolate KodExplorer instances to trusted networks only and enforce multi-factor authentication for administrator accounts. (5) Monitor the VulDB and vendor channels for patch releases, and implement application-level input validation in a custom patch if in-house security team resources permit - specifically, whitelist and validate the path parameter against an allowlist of permitted values before initInstall processing. The trade-off of WAF-based blocking is potential false positives if legitimate functions depend on flexible path parameters; test thoroughly in a non-production environment first.
Affected VersionsENISA
Affected Packages
Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)
Affects your stack
Affects 1 package in euvd
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Technical ContextAI · show details
KodExplorer is a PHP-based file management and cloud storage application. The vulnerability exists in the initInstall function within the systemMember.class.php controller file. The root cause is classified as CWE-639 (Authorization Bypass Through User-Controlled Key), indicating that user-supplied input in the path parameter is not properly validated before being used for authorization decisions. This type of flaw typically occurs when authorization checks rely on user-controllable identifiers without cryptographic verification or whitelist validation. The PHP application likely uses the path argument to determine which resources or operations the user is permitted to access, but the initInstall function fails to enforce proper access controls when this parameter is manipulated.
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Severity by source
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:H/UI:N/VC:N/VI:L/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:P
Primary rating from Vendor (VulDB) · only source for this CVE.
CVSS VectorVendor: VulDB
Lifecycle Timeline
6DescriptionCVE.org
A security flaw has been discovered in kodcloud KodExplorer up to 4.52. Affected is the function initInstall of the file /app/controller/systemMember.class.php. Performing a manipulation of the argument path results in authorization bypass. The attack may be initiated remotely. The exploit has been released to the public and may be used for attacks. The vendor was contacted early about this disclosure but did not respond in any way.
Threat Intelligence Overview
How this decision was reached
The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.
What every action level means
SSVC AssessmentENISA
Priority Score
Attack Technique
Authentication bypass attacks exploit flaws in the verification mechanisms that control access to systems and applications.
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EUVD-2026-23697
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
VulDB
GitHub PoC
Exploit-DB