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CVE Record

CVE-2018-19274: Passing an absolute path to a file_exists check in phpBB before 3.2.4 allows Remote Code Execution through...

Passing an absolute path to a file_exists check in phpBB before 3.2.4 allows Remote Code Execution through Object Injection by employing Phar deserialization when an attacker has access to the Admin Control Panel with founder permissions.

UnknownCVSS not scoredNot KEV-listedUpdated
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Glexia's TakeAutomated analysishigh

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

CVE-2018-19274 affects phpBB before 3.2.4. It can lead to remote code execution, but the source says the attacker must already have Admin Control Panel access with founder permissions. That makes it mainly a risk from compromised or malicious top-level forum administrators, not a simple unauthenticated internet attack.

Executive priority

Prioritize remediation for any public phpBB forum below 3.2.4. The issue has high impact, but urgency depends on whether founder-level admin access could be abused or compromised.

Technical view

The issue involves passing an absolute path into a file_exists check, enabling object injection through PHP Phar deserialization. The public description ties exploitation to phpBB versions before 3.2.4 and requires founder-level ACP access. CVSS, CWE, and complete affected-version metadata are not provided in the bundle.

Likely exposure

Exposure is likely limited to organizations still running phpBB before 3.2.4, especially where ACP founder accounts are shared, weakly protected, or compromised.

Exploitation context

The bundle does not show CISA KEV listing or other evidence of active exploitation. Public research exists, but the stated prerequisite is founder-level Admin Control Panel access.

Researcher notes

Treat this as a privileged-path RCE risk. The key evidence is phpBB before 3.2.4, absolute-path file_exists handling, Phar deserialization, and founder ACP prerequisite. Severity scoring and CWE mapping are absent from the supplied bundle.

Mitigation direction

  • Upgrade phpBB to 3.2.4 or a later supported release.
  • Apply Debian phpbb3 security updates if using Debian packages.
  • Restrict and review founder-level ACP accounts.
  • Enforce strong authentication for administrative accounts.
  • Check current phpBB vendor guidance for additional hardening.

Validation and detection

  • Inventory all phpBB installations and confirm versions.
  • Identify any phpBB instances older than 3.2.4.
  • Review ACP founder account membership and recent administrative activity.
  • Confirm Debian phpbb3 package updates are installed where applicable.
  • Document whether ACP access is internet-facing or restricted.
Prepared
Confidence
high
Sources
5

Public sources used

Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.

Potential ATT&CK relevance

Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context

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ATT&CK lookup starting points

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description · low confidence lookup

Execution behavior lookup

The CVE wording references code or command execution, so execution technique review may help defensive triage. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.

Open ATT&CK lookup
cve · low confidence lookup

CVE-2018-19274 mapping review

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Vulnerability profileCVE Program record
Severity
Unknown
CVSS
Not scored
Known Exploited
No
Published
Official CVE source material

CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5

These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.

0CVSS vectors
0Timeline events
0ADP providers
4Source links

CVSS and timeline data

No CVSS vectors or timeline events were available in the normalized CVE source material.

Source materials

Affected products

Products and packages named in the record

VendorProductVersion / packageStatus
n/an/an/aListed
Weakness

CWE details

No CWE listed

CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.