CVE-2018-19274: Phpbb/phpbb Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-h3mr-q96r-37v4
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CVSS 7.2
CWE-502
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2018-19274 is a HIGH (CVSS 7.2) remote code execution vulnerability (CWE-502: Deserialization of Untrusted Data) affecting Phpbb/phpbb libraries in the Packagist ecosystem. The issue involves phpbb remote code execution. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 3.2.4.

CVE-2018-19274 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2018-19274
GHSA Identifier GHSA-h3mr-q96r-37v4
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 7.2
CWE Classification CWE-502: Deserialization of Untrusted Data
Affected Product Phpbb/phpbb
Package Ecosystem Packagist
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 7.2

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H).

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

How to Fix CVE-2018-19274

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: 3.2.4 
Upgrade phpbb/phpbb to 3.2.4
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-2018-19274, 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 3.2.4), 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-502: Deserialization of Untrusted Data, where the product deserializes untrusted data without sufficiently ensuring that the resulting data will be valid. 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

Passing an absolute path to a file_exists check in phpBB before 3.2.4 allows Remote Code Execution through Object Injection by employing Phar deserialization when an attacker has access to the Admin Control Panel with founder permissions.

CVE-2018-19274 Affected Phpbb/phpbb Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
3.2.4
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
phpbb/phpbb
 Packagist
< 3.2.4
3.2.4

References

NVD — CVE-2018-19274 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-19274
blog.ripstech.com/2018/phpbb3-phar-de... WEB
https://blog.ripstech.com/2018/phpbb3-phar-deserialization-to-remote-code-execution
Phpbb/phpbb Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/phpbb/phpbb-app
lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce... WEB
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2018/11/msg00029.html
www.phpbb.com/community/viewtopic... WEB
https://www.phpbb.com/community/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=2492206

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2018-19274?
CVE-2018-19274 is a security vulnerability in Phpbb/phpbb involving phpBB Remote Code Execution under CWE-502: Deserialization of Untrusted Data.
Which Phpbb/phpbb versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 3.2.4 across affected packages: phpbb/phpbb.
What version fixes CVE-2018-19274?
Upgrading to 3.2.4 (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 3.2.4. Upgrade your dependency to 3.2.4 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2018-19274?
CVE-2018-19274 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.2 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2018-19274?
CVE-2018-19274 is classified under CWE-502: Deserialization of Untrusted Data (The product deserializes untrusted data without sufficiently ensuring that the resulting data will be valid.).
How can I check Packagist dependencies for CVE-2018-19274?
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-h3mr-q96r-37v4",
  "modified" : "2024-04-24T17:50:29Z",
  "published" : "2022-05-13T01:50:50Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2018-19274" ],
  "summary" : "phpBB Remote Code Execution",
  "details" : "Passing an absolute path to a file_exists check in phpBB before 3.2.4 allows Remote Code Execution through Object Injection by employing Phar deserialization when an attacker has access to the Admin Control Panel with founder permissions.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Packagist",
      "name" : "phpbb/phpbb"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "3.2.4"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-19274"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://blog.ripstech.com/2018/phpbb3-phar-deserialization-to-remote-code-execution"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/phpbb/phpbb-app"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2018/11/msg00029.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.phpbb.com/community/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=2492206"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-502" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2024-04-24T17:50:29Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2018-11-17T13:29:00Z"
  }
}