CVE-2023-0788 – CVE-2023-0788 is a code injection vulnerability... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2023-0788?

CVE-2023-0788 has a CVSS score of 8.1 (HIGH). CVE-2023-0788 is a code injection vulnerability in phpMyFAQ that allows attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected systems. This affects all users running phpMyFAQ versions prior to 3.1.11. The vulnerability stems from improper input validation in the application.

📋 TL;DR

CVE-2023-0788 is a code injection vulnerability in phpMyFAQ that allows attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected systems. This affects all users running phpMyFAQ versions prior to 3.1.11. The vulnerability stems from improper input validation in the application.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

phpMyFAQ

Versions: All versions prior to 3.1.11

Operating Systems: All operating systems running phpMyFAQ

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: All standard installations are vulnerable; no special configuration required for exploitation.

📦 What is this software?

Phpmyfaq by Phpmyfaq

View all CVEs affecting Phpmyfaq →

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Complete system compromise allowing remote code execution, data theft, and potential lateral movement within the network.

🟠

Likely Case

Unauthorized code execution leading to website defacement, data manipulation, or installation of backdoors.

🟢

If Mitigated

Limited impact with proper input validation and output encoding in place, potentially reduced to denial of service.

🌐 Internet-Facing: HIGH - Web applications are directly accessible from the internet, making them prime targets.

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - Internal applications could still be exploited by malicious insiders or compromised internal systems.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ⚠️ Yes

Weaponized: LIKELY

Unauthenticated Exploit: ⚠️ Yes

Complexity: LOW

The vulnerability is publicly documented with proof-of-concept available, making exploitation straightforward for attackers.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: 3.1.11

Vendor Advisory: https://github.com/thorsten/phpmyfaq/commit/77b42b9d0be3990ee7389207a71528b304b03039

Restart Required: No

Instructions:

1. Backup your current phpMyFAQ installation and database. 2. Download version 3.1.11 or later from the official repository. 3. Replace all files with the new version. 4. Verify the installation works correctly.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Input Validation Enhancement

all

Implement strict input validation and output encoding for all user inputs

Web Application Firewall

all

Deploy a WAF with rules to detect and block code injection attempts

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Isolate the phpMyFAQ instance in a restricted network segment with minimal access
Implement strict network access controls and monitor for suspicious activity

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check the phpMyFAQ version in the admin panel or by examining the source code files

Check Version:

Check the version in the admin dashboard or look for version information in the source files

Verify Fix Applied:

Verify the version is 3.1.11 or later and check that the specific commit fixing the vulnerability is present

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Unusual POST requests with code-like payloads
Unexpected file creation or modification
Suspicious PHP execution patterns

Network Indicators:

HTTP requests containing PHP code or shell commands
Unusual outbound connections from the web server

SIEM Query:

source="web_server" AND (http_method="POST" AND (url="*phpmyfaq*" OR user_agent="*phpmyfaq*")) AND (request_body="*eval(*" OR request_body="*system(*" OR request_body="*exec(*")

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2023-0788

CVSS v3 Score: 8.1 (HIGH)

CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N

CWE: CWE-94

Published: February 12, 2023

Last Updated: March 21, 2025

🔗 References

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