CVE-2017-15734 in phpMyFAQ
Summary
by MITRE
In phpMyFAQ before 2.9.9, there is Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) in admin/stat.main.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/10/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-15734 represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw discovered in phpMyFAQ versions prior to 2.9.9. This vulnerability specifically affects the admin/stat.main.php component of the application, exposing administrators to potential unauthorized actions that could compromise the entire database management system. The flaw arises from the absence of proper CSRF protection mechanisms within the administrative statistics page, allowing malicious actors to exploit this weakness through carefully crafted requests that appear legitimate to the victim's browser.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from phpMyFAQ's failure to implement anti-CSRF tokens or other validation mechanisms in the administrative statistics interface. When an authenticated administrator visits a malicious website or clicks on a compromised link, the attacker can construct a request that targets the admin/stat.main.php endpoint without proper authorization checks. This creates a scenario where the victim's browser automatically includes session cookies and authentication tokens, enabling the attacker to perform administrative actions on behalf of the legitimate user. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery issues, and demonstrates how the absence of proper session validation can lead to privilege escalation attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data manipulation, as it provides attackers with potential access to sensitive administrative functions within the phpMyFAQ system. An attacker could leverage this weakness to view confidential database statistics, potentially gain insights into database structure and usage patterns, or even execute more severe administrative operations depending on the system configuration. The attack vector is particularly dangerous because it requires minimal user interaction, often relying on social engineering techniques to trick administrators into visiting malicious websites. This vulnerability directly maps to ATT&CK technique T1078.004, which covers valid accounts used for unauthorized access, as it exploits legitimate administrative sessions without requiring credential theft.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-15734 primarily focus on implementing proper CSRF protection mechanisms within the affected phpMyFAQ components. Organizations should immediately upgrade to phpMyFAQ version 2.9.9 or later, which includes the necessary CSRF token implementations. Additionally, administrators should ensure that all administrative interfaces require proper anti-CSRF tokens, validate request origins, and implement strict session management practices. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls can provide additional layers of defense, though the most effective solution remains the immediate patching of the vulnerable application. Security monitoring should also be enhanced to detect unusual administrative activities that might indicate exploitation attempts, particularly around the affected stat.main.php endpoint. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of implementing comprehensive CSRF protection across all administrative interfaces and highlights the need for regular security assessments to identify similar weaknesses in web applications.