Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
FlashChat has a critical unauthenticated upload flaw that can let an attacker place and run server-side code. If an affected FlashChat instance is internet-facing, compromise could give control as the web server user. Sources confirm public exploit references, but not active exploitation.
Executive priority
Treat as urgent for any internet-facing FlashChat host. The vulnerability is simple to reach, needs no login, and can lead to server compromise. If FlashChat is absent, priority drops to confirming inventory accuracy.
Technical view
CVE-2013-10038 is a CWE-434 arbitrary file upload issue in FlashChat upload.php. The source bundle says versions 6.0.2 and 6.0.4 through 6.0.8 fail to validate authentication and file type, enabling remote PHP execution. Structured affected data only lists 6.0.2 and 6.0.4, so version scope should be verified.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely in legacy TUFaT FlashChat deployments, especially public web servers exposing FlashChat and upload.php. Modern environments are affected only if this old application remains installed or embedded in a forum or site.
Exploitation context
The bundle cites Metasploit and Exploit-DB references, supporting public exploit availability. The CVE is not marked KEV, and the provided sources do not state active exploitation in the wild.
Researcher notes
Use caution with version scope: the description lists 6.0.2 and 6.0.4-6.0.8, while structured affected data lists 6.0.2 and 6.0.4. Public exploit references exist, but the bundle does not establish in-the-wild exploitation or a vendor patch.
Mitigation direction
- Inventory and remove any unsupported FlashChat deployments where possible.
- Check TUFaT or hosting guidance; no patch details are provided in the bundle.
- Restrict public access to FlashChat upload.php until remediated.
- Use available IPS/WAF detection such as the cited FortiGuard coverage.
- Prevent PHP execution in any web-accessible upload directories.
Validation and detection
- Confirm whether FlashChat is installed and identify exact versions.
- Check whether upload.php is reachable without authentication from untrusted networks.
- Review web roots for unexpected PHP files in FlashChat upload locations.
- Review access logs for suspicious upload requests and later script execution.
- Verify compensating controls block unsafe uploads and script execution.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CWE-434: File access and web shell behavior lookup
File traversal and upload weaknesses can lead teams to review file, web shell, execution, and collection telemetry. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupExecution behavior lookup
The CVE wording references code or command execution, so execution technique review may help defensive triage. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupFile access behavior lookup
The CVE wording references file access or upload behavior, so file telemetry and web shell review may help. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2013-10038 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- Critical
- CVSS
- 9.3 (4.0)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CVSS vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N——Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 4.0 score
9.3CriticalVector: CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/master/modules/exploits/unix/webapp/flashchat_upload_exec.rbCVE reference · exploit
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/28709CVE reference · exploit
- https://www.fortiguard.com/encyclopedia/ips/37342/flashchat-arbitrary-file-uploadCVE reference · third-party-advisory
- https://www.phpbb.com/community/viewtopic.php?t=2627786CVE reference
- https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/flashchat-arbitrary-file-upload-rceCVE reference · third-party-advisory
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type
Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.