phpMyFAQ - Insecure Direct Object Reference in User Password API

published 2026-05-20 5 mo ago modified 2026-11-08 19 h ago also EUVD-2026-32902 , GHSA-xvp4-phqj-cjr3

cvss: 8.8; version 3.1, CNA
cisa kev: Not listed; not in CISA's catalog
epss: 0.4%; EPSS 0.4% chance of exploitation in 30 days, percentile 32%
public exploits: 0; none known

phpMyFAQ before 4.1.3 contains an insecure direct object reference vulnerability in the admin API user password endpoint that allows authenticated administrators to change any user's password without authorization verification. An attacker with low-privilege admin credentials can escalate to SuperAdmin by modifying the userId parameter in the overwrite-password API request.

Patch / fix

fixed in 3

packagist thorsten/phpmyfaq 4.1.3
packagist phpmyfaq/phpmyfaq 4.1.3
thorsten phpMyFAQ 4.1.3

CISA SSVC

Exploitation: Proof of concept is public
Automatable: no
Technical impact: total
Assessed: 5 mo ago (2026-05-30)

Exploit prediction

0.38% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 32% of all scored CVEs (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-08).

Exploits and checks

github.com https://github.com/thorsten/phpMyFAQ/security/advisories/GHSA-xvp4-phqj-cjr3 referenced PoC, tagged "exploit" by a source, unverified

CVSS scores

assigned by	version	score	vector
CNA	3.1	8.8	CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CNA	4.0	8.7	CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
GitHub	3.1	8.8	CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CNA	4.0	8.7	CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X

Affected packages

ecosystem	package	affected	fixed in
packagist	thorsten/phpmyfaq	<4.1.3	4.1.3
packagist	phpmyfaq/phpmyfaq	<4.1.3	4.1.3

Affected products

thorsten phpMyFAQ

Classification

Weakness

CWE-266 Incorrect Privilege Assignment
CWE-269 Improper Privilege Management
CWE-639 Authorization Bypass Through User-Controlled Key
CWE-862 Missing Authorization

References

github.com /thorsten/phpMyFAQ/security/advisories/GHSA-xvp4-phqj-cjr3
vendor-advisory, exploit, web
vulncheck.com /advisories/phpmyfaq-insecure-direct-object-reference-in-user-password-api
third-party-advisory
github.com /thorsten/phpMyFAQ
package

Sources

Fencer Vulns keeps one entry per vulnerability: the CVE id wins, then GHSA, and records that alias each other are merged, except that two CVEs always keep separate entries. The same data is available as JSON.

Summary