CVE-2023-5917: Phpbb/phpbb PhpBB's Smiley Pack Acp_icons.php Main Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-gmx8-8rff-qv6q
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CVSS 2.4
CWE-79
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2023-5917 is a MODERATE (CVSS 2.4) phpbb's smiley pack acp_icons.php main vulnerability (CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')) affecting Phpbb/phpbb libraries in the Packagist ecosystem. The issue involves phpbb's smiley pack acp_icons.php main pack vulnerable to cross site scripting. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 3.3.11.

CVE-2023-5917 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2023-5917
GHSA Identifier GHSA-gmx8-8rff-qv6q
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 2.4
CWE Classification CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')
Affected Product Phpbb/phpbb
Package Ecosystem Packagist
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 2.4

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

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

How to Fix CVE-2023-5917

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

phpbb/phpbb fixed: 3.3.11 
Upgrade phpbb/phpbb to 3.3.11
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 phpbb/phpbb

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your application is affected by CVE-2023-5917, inspect your project dependencies for Phpbb/phpbb:

inspect dependencies for phpbb/phpbb

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Phpbb/phpbb in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 3.3.11), 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 Phpbb/phpbb, 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

A vulnerability, which was classified as problematic, has been found in phpBB up to 3.3.10. This issue affects the function main of the file `phpBB/includes/acp/acp_icons.php` of the component Smiley Pack Handler. The manipulation of the argument pack leads to cross site scripting. The attack may be initiated remotely. Upgrading to version 3.3.11 is able to address this issue. The patch is named ccf6e6c255d38692d72fcb613b113e6eaa240aac. It is recommended to upgrade the affected component. The associated identifier of this vulnerability is VDB-244307.

CVE-2023-5917 Affected Phpbb/phpbb Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
3.3.11
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
phpbb/phpbb
 Packagist
< 3.3.11
3.3.11

References

NVD — CVE-2023-5917 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-5917
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/phpbb/phpbb-app/commit/a3a84334f1c17ee57cc9af3d84996af8772736d3
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/phpbb/phpbb/commit/ccf6e6c255d38692d72fcb613b113e6eaa240aac
Phpbb/phpbb Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/phpbb/phpbb-app
Phpbb/phpbb Release RELEASE
https://github.com/phpbb/phpbb/releases/tag/release-3.3.11
vuldb.com/ WEB
https://vuldb.com/?ctiid.244307
vuldb.com/ WEB
https://vuldb.com/?id.244307
www.phpbb.com WEB
https://www.phpbb.com
www.phpbb.com/community/viewtopic... WEB
https://www.phpbb.com/community/viewtopic.php?t=2646991

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2023-5917?
CVE-2023-5917 is a security vulnerability in Phpbb/phpbb involving phpBB's Smiley Pack acp_icons.php main pack vulnerable to cross site scripting under CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting').
Which Phpbb/phpbb versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 3.3.11 across affected packages: phpbb/phpbb.
What version fixes CVE-2023-5917?
Upgrading to 3.3.11 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is phpbb/phpbb affected?
Yes, phpbb/phpbb is affected in releases prior to 3.3.11. Upgrade your dependency to 3.3.11 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2023-5917?
CVE-2023-5917 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 2.4 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2023-5917?
CVE-2023-5917 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-2023-5917?
Run the dependency tree command: 'inspect dependencies for phpbb/phpbb'. 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-gmx8-8rff-qv6q",
  "modified" : "2024-10-30T16:42:38Z",
  "published" : "2023-11-02T12:30:16Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2023-5917" ],
  "summary" : "phpBB's Smiley Pack acp_icons.php main pack vulnerable to cross site scripting",
  "details" : "A vulnerability, which was classified as problematic, has been found in phpBB up to 3.3.10. This issue affects the function main of the file `phpBB/includes/acp/acp_icons.php` of the component Smiley Pack Handler. The manipulation of the argument pack leads to cross site scripting. The attack may be initiated remotely. Upgrading to version 3.3.11 is able to address this issue. The patch is named ccf6e6c255d38692d72fcb613b113e6eaa240aac. It is recommended to upgrade the affected component. The associated identifier of this vulnerability is VDB-244307.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N"
  }, {
    "type" : "CVSS_V4",
    "score" : "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:H/UI:P/VC:N/VI:L/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Packagist",
      "name" : "phpbb/phpbb"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "3.3.11"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-5917"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/phpbb/phpbb-app/commit/a3a84334f1c17ee57cc9af3d84996af8772736d3"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/phpbb/phpbb/commit/ccf6e6c255d38692d72fcb613b113e6eaa240aac"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/phpbb/phpbb-app"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/phpbb/phpbb/releases/tag/release-3.3.11"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://vuldb.com/?ctiid.244307"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://vuldb.com/?id.244307"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.phpbb.com"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.phpbb.com/community/viewtopic.php?t=2646991"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-79" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2024-10-30T16:42:38Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2023-11-02T11:15:14Z"
  }
}