An issue was discovered in the 3CX Phone System Management Console prior to version 18 Update 3 FINAL.
An issue was discovered in the 3CX Phone System Management Console prior to version 18 Update 3 FINAL. An unauthenticated attacker could abuse improperly secured access to arbitrary files on the server (via /Electron/download directory traversal in conjunction with a path component that uses backslash characters), leading to cleartext credential disclosure. Afterwards, the authenticated attacker is able to upload a file that overwrites a 3CX service binary, leading to Remote Code Execution as NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM on Windows installations. NOTE: this issue exists because of an incomplete fix for CVE-2022-48482.
- Published
- May 6, 2022
- Updated
- Jun 17, 2026
- EPSS
- 6.7% · 94th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-522
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Report tools
Action score
41
Plan
Add it to your regular patch cycle.
- CVSS
- 39 / 40 · 9.8 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 2 / 30 · 6.7%
Affected systems
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| 3cx | 3cx | cpe:2.3:a:3cx:3cx |
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- 3cx 3cxup to 18.0.3.450 inclusive
Same product
3cx: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2023-49954The CRM Integration in 3CX before 18.0.9.23 and 20 before 20.0.0.1494 allows SQL Injection via a first name, search string, or email address40Plan
- CVE-2021-45490The client applications in 3CX on Windows, the 3CX app for iOS, and the 3CX application for Android through 2022-03-17 lack SSL certificate 36Monitor
- CVE-2023-290593CX DesktopApp through 18.12.416 has embedded malicious code, as exploited in the wild in March 2023.32Monitor
- CVE-2023-273623CX Uncontrolled Search Path Local Privilege Escalation Vulnerability31Monitor
- CVE-2022-484833CX before 18 Hotfix 1 build 18.0.3.461 on Windows allows unauthenticated remote attackers to read %WINDIR%\system32 files via /Electron/dow31Monitor
- CVE-2022-484823CX before 18 Update 2 Security Hotfix build 18.0.2.315 on Windows allows unauthenticated remote attackers to read certain files via /Electr31Monitor
Remediation
Which version to upgrade to
Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.
No fix version is recorded for this entry. Check the references for vendor advisories.
Exploit status
No known public exploit
No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.
Research context
For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.
Timeline
From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.
No dated events beyond publication.
FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).
Patch and commit links
Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.
No commit or PR link among the references.
Credits
All researchersFinders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.
No credits in the CNA record.
Variant candidates
Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.
No nightly-computed relations.
Chain candidates
An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.
—
Bug bounty scope
The product’s vendor appears in a public program. Matched by name; verify the scope text in the program.
Technical details
Attack conditions
- Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it.
- No account or password is required.
- No user action is required.
- No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
If successful
- Confidentiality
- high · data can be read
- Integrity
- high · data or configuration can be modified
- Availability
- high · the service can be disrupted
- Attack vector
- Network
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality impact
- High
- Integrity impact
- High
- Availability impact
- High
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-522 · Insufficiently Protected CredentialsCVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
nvd-primary
Attack context
MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.
Attack patterns (CAPEC)
- Session SidejackingCAPEC-102likelihood: High · High
- Signature Spoofing by Key TheftCAPEC-474likelihood: Medium · High
- Password Recovery ExploitationCAPEC-50likelihood: Medium · High
- KerberoastingCAPEC-509High
- Modify Existing ServiceCAPEC-551
- Remote Services with Stolen CredentialsCAPEC-555Very High
- Use of Known Domain CredentialsCAPEC-560likelihood: High · High
- Windows Admin Shares with Stolen CredentialsCAPEC-561
ATT&CK techniques
- Remote ServicesT1021
- Remote Services:SMB/Windows Admin SharesT1021.002
- Valid AccountsT1078
- Brute Force:Credential StuffingT1110.004
- Email Collection:Remote Email CollectionT1114.002
- External Remote ServicesT1133
- Create or Modify System ProcessT1543
- Use Alternate Authentication Material:Pass The HashT1550.002
- Use Alternate Authentication Material:Pass The TicketT1550.003
- Unsecured Credentials: Private KeysT1552.004
- Steal or Forge Kerberos TicketsT1558
- Steal or Forge Kerberos Tickets:KerberoastingT1558.003
Noroxi analysis
No Noroxi analysis for this record yet
We don't hand-write analysis for all 385,000+ vulnerabilities; that wouldn't be honest. For notable, high-impact vulnerabilities our team writes the mechanism, detection and remediation steps.
We use this product, ask for helpChange log
No changes recorded on tracked fields yet. Score, KEV, exploit maturity and fix status changes appear here.
References
- medium.com/%40frycos/pwning-3cx-phone-management-backends-from-the-internet-d0096339dd88
- www.3cx.com/blog/change-log/phone-system-change-log/
- www.3cx.com/blog/releases/v18-security-hotfix/
- www.3cx.com/blog/releases/v18-update-3-final/
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.