CVE-2009-4780 in phpMyFAQ
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in index.php in phpMyFAQ before 2.5.5 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via (1) the lang parameter in a sitemap action, (2) the search parameter in a search action, (3) the tagging_id parameter in a search action, (4) the highlight parameter in an artikel action, (5) the artlang parameter in an artikel action, (6) the letter parameter in a sitemap action, (7) the lang parameter in a show action, (8) the cat parameter in a show action, (9) the newslang parameter in a news action, (10) the artlang parameter in a send2friend action, (11) the cat parameter in a send2friend action, (12) the id parameter in a send2friend action, (13) the srclang parameter in a translate action, (14) the id parameter in a translate action, (15) the cat parameter in a translate action, (16) the cat parameter in an add action, or (17) the question parameter in an add action. NOTE: the provenance of this information is unknown; the details are obtained solely from third party information.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/03/2025
The vulnerability described in CVE-2009-4780 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting phpMyFAQ versions prior to 2.5.5, specifically within the index.php file. This vulnerability manifests as multiple XSS attack vectors that enable remote attackers to inject malicious web scripts or HTML content into the application's response. The flaw stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization of user-supplied parameters across various application actions, creating a wide attack surface that spans multiple functional areas of the phpMyFAQ platform. The vulnerability's impact is particularly concerning given that phpMyFAQ is a widely used database management and content publishing system that often serves as a backend interface for database administration and content management.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves multiple parameter injection points that bypass proper output encoding and validation mechanisms. Attackers can exploit these vectors by manipulating parameters such as lang, search, tagging_id, highlight, artlang, letter, cat, newslang, srclang, id, and question across different actions including sitemap, search, artikel, show, news, send2friend, translate, and add. Each of these parameters represents a distinct injection point where user input flows directly into the application's response without adequate sanitization. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-79 as "Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')", which is one of the most prevalent and dangerous web application security flaws. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a code injection technique under the T1165 category, specifically targeting web application interfaces for privilege escalation and data exfiltration.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it provides attackers with the capability to execute arbitrary code in the context of a victim's browser session. This could lead to session hijacking, credential theft, data manipulation, or redirection to malicious sites. The attack surface is particularly broad due to the multiple injection points, allowing attackers to choose the most effective vector based on the target environment and user behavior. The fact that this vulnerability affects core application functionality including search, content display, translation, and user interaction mechanisms makes it particularly dangerous for organizations relying on phpMyFAQ for database management and content publishing. The unknown provenance of the information suggests that this vulnerability may have been actively exploited in the wild before official disclosure, highlighting the critical nature of the flaw and the importance of immediate remediation.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to phpMyFAQ version 2.5.5 or later, which contains the necessary input validation patches. Additionally, implementing proper input sanitization at all parameter entry points, deploying web application firewalls, and establishing comprehensive output encoding strategies can provide defense-in-depth measures. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining up-to-date security practices and the critical need for regular security assessments of web applications. Organizations should also consider implementing Content Security Policy headers to limit script execution and reduce the impact of successful XSS attacks. Regular security audits and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar issues in other application components, as this vulnerability highlights the broader challenge of input validation in complex web applications. The widespread use of phpMyFAQ makes this vulnerability particularly significant for database administrators and web security professionals who must ensure proper patch management and security hardening across their infrastructure.