CVE-2023-2429: Thorsten/phpmyfaq PhpMyFAQ Improper Access Control Vulnerability Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-r69v-q48g-3966
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CVSS 6.6
CWE-284
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2023-2429 is a MODERATE (CVSS 6.6) phpmyfaq improper access control vulnerability vulnerability (CWE-284: Improper Access Control) affecting Thorsten/phpmyfaq libraries in the Packagist ecosystem. The issue involves phpmyfaq improper access control vulnerability. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 3.1.13.

CVE-2023-2429 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2023-2429
GHSA Identifier GHSA-r69v-q48g-3966
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 6.6
CWE Classification CWE-284: Improper Access Control
Affected Product Thorsten/phpmyfaq
Package Ecosystem Packagist
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 6.6

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

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

How to Fix CVE-2023-2429

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-2023-2429, 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-284: Improper Access Control, where the product does not restrict or incorrectly restricts access to a resource from an unauthorized actor. 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 does not properly validate email addresses when updating user profiles. This vulnerability allows an attacker to manipulate their email address and change it to another email address that is already registered in the system, including email addresses belonging to other users such as the administrator. Once the attacker has control of the other user's email address, they can request to remove the user from the system, leading to a loss of data and access.

CVE-2023-2429 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-2023-2429 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-2429
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/thorsten/phpmyfaq/commit/07552f5577ff8b1e6f7cdefafcce9b2a744d3a24
Thorsten/phpmyfaq Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/thorsten/phpmyfaq
huntr.com/bounties/20d3a0b3-2... WEB
https://huntr.com/bounties/20d3a0b3-2693-4bf1-b196-10741201a540
huntr.dev/bounties/20d3a0b3-2... WEB
https://huntr.dev/bounties/20d3a0b3-2693-4bf1-b196-10741201a540

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2023-2429?
CVE-2023-2429 is a security vulnerability in Thorsten/phpmyfaq involving phpMyFAQ Improper Access Control vulnerability under CWE-284: Improper Access Control.
Which Thorsten/phpmyfaq versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 3.1.13 across affected packages: thorsten/phpmyfaq.
What version fixes CVE-2023-2429?
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-2023-2429?
CVE-2023-2429 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.6 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:H/A:L.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2023-2429?
CVE-2023-2429 is classified under CWE-284: Improper Access Control (The product does not restrict or incorrectly restricts access to a resource from an unauthorized actor.).
How can I check Packagist dependencies for CVE-2023-2429?
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-r69v-q48g-3966",
  "modified" : "2025-01-30T18:55:32Z",
  "published" : "2023-04-30T03:30:26Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2023-2429" ],
  "summary" : "phpMyFAQ Improper Access Control vulnerability",
  "details" : "phpMyFAQ prior to version 3.1.13 does not properly validate email addresses when updating user profiles. This vulnerability allows an attacker to manipulate their email address and change it to another email address that is already registered in the system, including email addresses belonging to other users such as the administrator. Once the attacker has control of the other user's email address, they can request to remove the user from the system, leading to a loss of data and access.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:H/A:L"
  } ],
  "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-2023-2429"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/thorsten/phpmyfaq/commit/07552f5577ff8b1e6f7cdefafcce9b2a744d3a24"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/thorsten/phpmyfaq"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://huntr.com/bounties/20d3a0b3-2693-4bf1-b196-10741201a540"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://huntr.dev/bounties/20d3a0b3-2693-4bf1-b196-10741201a540"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-284" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2023-05-01T22:30:43Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2023-04-30T03:15:08Z"
  }
}