CVE-2024-22208: phpmyfaq/phpmyfaq - phpMyFAQ sharing FAQ functionality can easily be abused for phishing purposes
Summary
CVE-2024-22208: phpMyFAQ sharing FAQ functionality can easily be abused for phishing purposes. Affects phpmyfaq/phpmyfaq versions < 3.2.5. Fixed in 3.2.5. How to fix ↓
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Background
phpMyFAQ is an open-source FAQ software written in PHP. It provides a platform for creating and managing frequently asked questions. The application allows users to share FAQ items with others via email. This functionality is intended to facilitate the dissemination of information. However, a vulnerability in the sharing FAQ feature allows unauthenticated actors to misuse the application for phishing purposes.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in phpMyFAQ's sharing FAQ functionality enables any unauthenticated actor to send arbitrary emails to a large number of targets. The front-end of this feature allows users to share phpMyFAQ articles with up to 5 email addresses. However, there are no controls in place to prevent the sharing of malicious links or content. Additionally, the backend does not limit the number of emails that can be sent with a single request. This allows an attacker to solve a single CAPTCHA and send thousands of emails at once. The attacker can also modify the body of the email to include phishing messages and change the link that is sent, increasing the potential for successful phishing attacks. The impact of this vulnerability includes the potential blacklisting of the target application's email server, causing legitimate emails to be marked as spam, as well as reputational damage.
How To Fix
Minimum fixed version
3.2.5
This is the first release that contains the fix.
composer require phpmyfaq/phpmyfaq:3.2.5Tip — Not sure which version your app runs? Vulert can match this fix to it. Scan free →
Workaround
There is no known workaround for this vulnerability. It is necessary to update the phpMyFAQ application to the fixed version.
Conclusion
The phpMyFAQ application is vulnerable to abuse of its sharing FAQ functionality for phishing purposes. This vulnerability allows unauthenticated actors to send arbitrary emails to a large number of targets, potentially leading to blacklisting of the email server and reputational damage. To mitigate this risk, it is crucial to update the phpMyFAQ application to version 3.2.5 or later. For further support on vulnerability remediation, please contact DevNack.com.
See every vulnerability recorded for phpmyfaq/phpmyfaq →
FAQ
The impact of this vulnerability includes the potential blacklisting of the target application's email server, causing legitimate emails to be marked as spam, as well as reputational damage.
Yes, an attacker can solve a single CAPTCHA and send thousands of emails at once.
Yes, the attacker can modify the body of the email to include phishing messages.
The front-end of the sharing FAQ functionality allows up to 5 email addresses to be targeted, but the backend does not enforce this limit, allowing an attacker to send emails to a large number of targets.
Updating the phpMyFAQ application to version 3.2.5 or later, which includes a fix for this vulnerability, is the recommended mitigation measure.
References
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