CVE-2023-1757 in phpmyfaq
Summary
by MITRE • 04/05/2023
Cross-site Scripting (XSS) - Stored in GitHub repository thorsten/phpmyfaq prior to 3.1.12.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/12/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-1757 represents a stored cross-site scripting flaw within the thorsten/phpmyfaq repository, affecting versions prior to 3.1.12. This issue arises from insufficient input validation and output sanitization mechanisms within the phpMyFAQ application, which is a widely used knowledge base management system. The vulnerability allows authenticated attackers with sufficient privileges to inject malicious scripts into the application's database through stored data inputs, creating a persistent security risk that can affect all users interacting with the compromised system.
The technical implementation of this stored XSS vulnerability stems from the application's failure to properly sanitize user-supplied data before storing it in the database and subsequently rendering it without adequate encoding or escaping mechanisms. When malicious content is stored in the application's data repository, it becomes persistent and executes in the context of other users' browsers when they view the affected content. This flaw operates under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-79 which specifically addresses Cross-site Scripting vulnerabilities where untrusted data is improperly handled during web page generation. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it leverages the application's legitimate functionality to deliver malicious payloads, making detection more challenging for security monitoring systems.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution as it can enable attackers to perform a wide range of malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, data exfiltration, and privilege escalation within the application environment. Attackers could potentially use this vulnerability to gain unauthorized access to sensitive information stored within the phpMyFAQ system, compromise user sessions, or even escalate their privileges to administrative levels depending on the application's access control implementation. The stored nature of the vulnerability means that once exploited, the malicious scripts remain active until the database content is manually cleaned or the application is updated to a patched version, creating a persistent threat vector that can affect multiple users over extended periods.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-1757 should prioritize immediate remediation through updating to phpMyFAQ version 3.1.12 or later, which includes proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms. Organizations should implement comprehensive input sanitization routines that filter and escape all user-supplied content before storage, while also applying proper output encoding when rendering data within HTML contexts. Security measures should include regular vulnerability scanning of the application environment, implementation of content security policies to limit script execution, and monitoring for unusual data insertion patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing web application firewalls and security headers to provide additional layers of protection against similar vulnerabilities. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this type of vulnerability under T1566 - Phishing and T1059 - Command and Scripting Interpreter, highlighting the need for both preventive measures and detection capabilities to address the exploitation vectors associated with stored XSS attacks.