Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2021-31711 is a cross-site scripting issue in Trippo ResponsiveFilemanager v9.14.0 and earlier. A low-privileged remote attacker could use the dialog.php sort_by parameter to run script in another user’s browser if interaction occurs. Business impact is mainly session, data, or workflow manipulation risk in exposed file-management interfaces.
Executive priority
Treat as a medium-priority web application risk. Prioritize externally reachable or shared-admin deployments because XSS can support account abuse and data exposure. Internal-only, tightly permissioned deployments are lower urgency but should still be remediated through vendor guidance.
Technical view
The CVE describes CWE-79 XSS in dialog.php through the sort_by parameter. CVSS 3.1 is 5.4: network reachable, low complexity, low privileges required, user interaction required, changed scope, low confidentiality and integrity impact, and no availability impact. The source bundle does not identify CPEs.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely where Trippo ResponsiveFilemanager v9.14.0 or earlier is embedded in a web application and reachable by authenticated users. Internet-facing admin or CMS file-management paths raise urgency. The affected metadata is incomplete, so product inventory must confirm usage directly.
Exploitation context
The CVE is not listed as KEV in the supplied bundle, and no cited source confirms active exploitation. Exploitation still appears plausible where an attacker has low-privileged access and can cause a user to interact with affected ResponsiveFilemanager functionality.
Researcher notes
The public record names the vulnerable parameter and file but provides limited structured affected-product data. Avoid assuming every ResponsiveFilemanager fork or integration is affected. Validation should focus on confirmed Trippo ResponsiveFilemanager deployments and whether the vulnerable UI path is reachable.
Mitigation direction
- Check vendor or project guidance for an updated or fixed ResponsiveFilemanager release.
- Inventory applications for Trippo ResponsiveFilemanager v9.14.0 or earlier.
- Restrict access to file-manager routes to trusted authenticated users.
- Apply defense-in-depth input validation and output encoding around affected parameters.
- Review logs for suspicious access to dialog.php with unusual sort_by values.
Validation and detection
- Confirm whether ResponsiveFilemanager is present in application dependencies or deployed assets.
- Identify deployed versions and compare them with v9.14.0 and earlier.
- Verify whether dialog.php is reachable from untrusted networks or lower-privileged users.
- Review application controls for output encoding on sort_by handling.
- Check whether any compensating WAF or route restrictions cover the file manager.
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-79: User-session and phishing behavior lookup
Client-side and session-facing weaknesses should be reviewed alongside initial-access and user-execution behaviors. 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 lookupCVE-2021-31711 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
- Medium
- CVSS
- 5.4 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A: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:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N2.32.7Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
5.4MediumVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://github.com/trippo/ResponsiveFilemanager/issues/661CVE reference
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.
Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')
Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.