CVE-2023-2428: Thorsten/phpmyfaq Cross-Site Scripting Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-8595-6653-96p2
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CVSS 6.1
CWE-79
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2023-2428 is a MODERATE (CVSS 6.1) cross-site scripting vulnerability (CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')) affecting Thorsten/phpmyfaq libraries in the Packagist ecosystem. The issue involves phpmyfaq vulnerable to stored cross-site scripting. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 3.1.13.

CVE-2023-2428 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2023-2428
GHSA Identifier GHSA-8595-6653-96p2
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 6.1
CWE Classification CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')
Affected Product Thorsten/phpmyfaq
Package Ecosystem Packagist
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 6.1

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required None (PR:N)
User Interaction Required (UI:R)
Scope Changed (S:C)
Confidentiality Low (C:L)
Integrity Low (I:L)
Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2023-2428

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Thorsten/phpmyfaq dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

thorsten/phpmyfaq fixed: 3.1.13 
Upgrade thorsten/phpmyfaq to 3.1.13
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

inspect dependencies for thorsten/phpmyfaq

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your application is affected by CVE-2023-2428, inspect your project dependencies for Thorsten/phpmyfaq:

inspect dependencies for thorsten/phpmyfaq

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Thorsten/phpmyfaq in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 3.1.13), your application is affected.

Note: Verify declared build manifests and deployed runtime container environments.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting'), where the product does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes user-controllable input before it is placed in output that is used as a web page that is served to other users. In Thorsten/phpmyfaq, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

phpMyFAQ prior to version 3.1.13 has a stored cross site scripting vulnerability in `name` field in add question module. This allows an attacker to steal user cookies.

CVE-2023-2428 Affected Thorsten/phpmyfaq Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
3.1.13
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
thorsten/phpmyfaq
 Packagist
< 3.1.13
3.1.13

References

NVD — CVE-2023-2428 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-2428
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/thorsten/phpmyfaq/commit/0a4980d870bac92df945f6d022726c4e3ed584ab
Thorsten/phpmyfaq Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/thorsten/phpmyfaq
huntr.com/bounties/cee65b6d-b... WEB
https://huntr.com/bounties/cee65b6d-b003-4e6a-9d14-89aa94bee43e
huntr.dev/bounties/cee65b6d-b... WEB
https://huntr.dev/bounties/cee65b6d-b003-4e6a-9d14-89aa94bee43e

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2023-2428?
CVE-2023-2428 is a security vulnerability in Thorsten/phpmyfaq involving phpMyFAQ vulnerable to Stored Cross-site Scripting under CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting').
Which Thorsten/phpmyfaq versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 3.1.13 across affected packages: thorsten/phpmyfaq.
What version fixes CVE-2023-2428?
Upgrading to 3.1.13 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is thorsten/phpmyfaq affected?
Yes, thorsten/phpmyfaq is affected in releases prior to 3.1.13. Upgrade your dependency to 3.1.13 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2023-2428?
CVE-2023-2428 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.1 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2023-2428?
CVE-2023-2428 is classified under CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') (The product does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes user-controllable input before it is placed in output that is used as a web page that is served to other users.).
How can I check Packagist dependencies for CVE-2023-2428?
Run the dependency tree command: 'inspect dependencies for thorsten/phpmyfaq'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-8595-6653-96p2",
  "modified" : "2025-01-30T18:55:28Z",
  "published" : "2023-04-30T03:30:25Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2023-2428" ],
  "summary" : "phpMyFAQ vulnerable to Stored Cross-site Scripting",
  "details" : "phpMyFAQ prior to version 3.1.13 has a stored cross site scripting vulnerability in `name` field in add question module. This allows an attacker to steal user cookies.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Packagist",
      "name" : "thorsten/phpmyfaq"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "3.1.13"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-2428"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/thorsten/phpmyfaq/commit/0a4980d870bac92df945f6d022726c4e3ed584ab"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/thorsten/phpmyfaq"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://huntr.com/bounties/cee65b6d-b003-4e6a-9d14-89aa94bee43e"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://huntr.dev/bounties/cee65b6d-b003-4e6a-9d14-89aa94bee43e"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-79" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2023-05-01T22:30:37Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2023-04-30T01:15:09Z"
  }
}