Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2013-4321 lets an authenticated TYPO3 editor turn a file rename action into arbitrary PHP code execution. The issue affects TYPO3 6.0.x before 6.0.8 and 6.1.x before 6.1.4. Business urgency depends on whether legacy TYPO3 instances still exist and whether editor accounts are broadly trusted.
Executive priority
Treat this as a legacy-system containment and upgrade priority. It is not reported as actively exploited in the provided sources, but arbitrary PHP execution from an editor account can become full site compromise if an old TYPO3 instance remains exposed.
Technical view
The TYPO3 File Abstraction Layer mishandled unspecified characters in file extensions during rename operations. This allowed remote authenticated editors to execute arbitrary PHP code. The CVE notes this resulted from an incomplete fix for CVE-2013-4250. No CVSS score or CWE is provided in the source bundle.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely in legacy TYPO3 deployments running 6.0.x below 6.0.8 or 6.1.x below 6.1.4, especially where backend editor accounts can manage or rename files. Modern TYPO3 branches are not identified as affected in the provided sources.
Exploitation context
The provided sources do not report active exploitation, and the CVE is not listed as KEV. Exploitation requires authenticated editor access, but successful abuse could reach PHP code execution, making compromised or overprivileged editor accounts a serious concern.
Researcher notes
The key technical gap is that the extension-character handling is unspecified in the CVE text. Avoid assuming exploit mechanics beyond authenticated FAL rename abuse. Validate version exposure, role permissions, and whether the incomplete CVE-2013-4250 fix is present in the assessed branch.
Mitigation direction
- Upgrade TYPO3 6.0.x to 6.0.8 or later vendor-fixed release.
- Upgrade TYPO3 6.1.x to 6.1.4 or later vendor-fixed release.
- Review TYPO3 advisory guidance for legacy or unsupported installations.
- Restrict file management and rename permissions to trusted editors until remediated.
- Audit editor accounts and remove stale or unnecessary access.
Validation and detection
- Inventory TYPO3 installations and record exact core versions.
- Flag TYPO3 6.0.x before 6.0.8 and 6.1.x before 6.1.4.
- Confirm who has authenticated editor access with file rename capability.
- Review file storage and web roots for unexpected PHP files.
- Check change logs for suspicious file rename activity where available.
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
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CVE-2013-4321 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
- Unknown
- CVSS
- Not scored
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
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 and timeline data
No CVSS vectors or timeline events were available in the normalized CVE source material.
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://typo3.org/teams/security/security-bulletins/typo3-core/typo3-core-sa-2013-003/CVE reference · x_refsource_CONFIRM
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.