CVE-2023-0789 in phpmyfaq
Summary
by MITRE • 02/12/2023
Command Injection in GitHub repository thorsten/phpmyfaq prior to 3.1.11.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/05/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-0789 represents a critical command injection flaw discovered in the thorsten/phpmyfaq GitHub repository affecting versions prior to 3.1.11. This issue arises from insufficient input validation and sanitization within the application's command execution mechanisms, creating a pathway for malicious actors to inject and execute arbitrary commands on the underlying system. The vulnerability specifically impacts the phpMyFAQ application which serves as a knowledge base management system, making it a significant concern for organizations relying on this platform for information management and database administration tasks.
The technical root cause of this command injection vulnerability stems from improper handling of user-supplied input that is directly passed to system commands without adequate sanitization or escaping mechanisms. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious input that gets interpreted as shell commands when processed by the application. This flaw typically occurs in scenarios where the application uses functions like system(), exec(), shell_exec(), or similar command execution functions without proper input validation. The vulnerability falls under the CWE-77 category of Command Injection, which is classified as a high-severity issue in the Common Weakness Enumeration catalog. According to the MITRE ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to the T1059.001 technique for Command and Scripting Interpreter, specifically targeting the Windows Command Shell and Unix Shell execution paths.
The operational impact of CVE-2023-0789 extends beyond simple data theft, as successful exploitation can lead to complete system compromise and persistent access for attackers. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the web application, potentially gaining access to sensitive database information, escalating privileges, or using the compromised system as a launchpad for further attacks within the network infrastructure. Organizations using phpMyFAQ versions prior to 3.1.11 face significant risk of unauthorized access to their knowledge base systems, which may contain confidential information, user credentials, or business-critical data stored in the underlying database systems. The vulnerability's exploitation can result in data breaches, system downtime, and potential regulatory compliance violations depending on the nature of the information stored within the affected systems.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability primarily focus on immediate remediation through version updates, as the vendor has released patched versions addressing the command injection flaw in phpmyfaq 3.1.11 and subsequent releases. Organizations should prioritize upgrading to the latest stable version of the application to eliminate the risk associated with this vulnerability. Additionally, implementing proper input validation and sanitization measures at multiple layers of the application architecture can provide defense-in-depth protection. Network segmentation and access controls should be enforced to limit exposure of the vulnerable application to untrusted networks or users. Regular security assessments and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar patterns in other application components, particularly focusing on command execution functions and user input handling. The implementation of web application firewalls and runtime application self-protection mechanisms can provide additional protective layers against exploitation attempts. Organizations should also establish incident response procedures specifically tailored to address command injection vulnerabilities, including monitoring for suspicious command execution patterns and maintaining comprehensive audit logs for forensic analysis.