Executive brief
SEMCMS, a content management system, contains a security flaw in its database backup component. An unauthorized person can trigger a full export of the website's database without needing a username or password. This could allow an attacker to steal sensitive information, including administrator credentials, user data, and site configuration files.
Technical details
An improper access control vulnerability (CWE-284) exists in SEMCMS versions 5.0 and earlier within the SEMCMS_copy.php file. The component fails to implement authentication or authorization checks, allowing a remote, unauthenticated attacker to trigger the database export functionality by sending a crafted GET request (e.g., using the 'type=dc' parameter). The resulting SQL backup is stored in a predictable location (/backups/semcms.sql) within the web root, where it can be downloaded by the attacker. This leads to the disclosure of the entire database, including administrator credentials and configuration data. Notably, the researcher identified a syntax error in the vulnerable file that may require correction for the exploit to function as intended.
Affected products
- SEMCMS SEMCMS <= 5.0
Timeline
- 2026-06-05: disclosed: Initial researcher disclosure on GitHub Gist
- 2026-06-09: advisory: NVD published the CVE record