Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2023-0791 is a stored cross-site scripting flaw in thorsten/phpmyfaq before version 3.1.11. An authenticated user could store malicious browser-executed content in the application, risking data exposure or unauthorized actions when affected content is viewed. The supplied sources do not show active exploitation.
Executive priority
Treat this as a high-priority web application patch if phpMyFAQ is deployed. The issue can affect confidentiality and integrity through browser-side execution, but the supplied evidence does not justify emergency incident language without local exposure or compromise indicators.
Technical view
The CVE describes CWE-79 stored XSS in GitHub repository thorsten/phpmyfaq before 3.1.11. CVSS 3.1 is 8.3: network reachable, low complexity, low privileges required, no user interaction, unchanged scope, high confidentiality and integrity impact, low availability impact. The supplied bundle does not identify the exact vulnerable field.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely on phpMyFAQ deployments older than 3.1.11, especially where authenticated non-admin or semi-trusted users can create or edit stored content. Public-facing knowledge bases increase business impact, but internal deployments can still expose staff sessions and sensitive FAQ content.
Exploitation context
The bundle includes a Huntr advisory and an exploit-tagged Huntr reference, indicating public vulnerability details exist. CISA KEV status is false, and no supplied source confirms active exploitation in the wild.
Researcher notes
Prioritize version validation and code provenance over assumptions about vulnerable fields. The CVSS vector implies authenticated attacker capability and no victim interaction requirement, but the source bundle does not provide enough detail to name exact routes, parameters, or reliable detection indicators.
Mitigation direction
- Upgrade phpMyFAQ to version 3.1.11 or later.
- Confirm the deployed code includes commit 26663efcb0b67e421e4ecccad8f19e7106bb03ce.
- Review vendor guidance for any additional hardening or cleanup steps.
- Restrict content-editing permissions until affected instances are upgraded.
- Review stored user-generated content for suspicious scriptable markup.
Validation and detection
- Inventory all phpMyFAQ deployments and record exact versions.
- Flag any phpMyFAQ instance below 3.1.11 as vulnerable.
- Confirm production code contains the referenced security commit or a later release.
- Review roles allowed to create or modify stored FAQ content.
- Add regression checks for safe rendering of stored user-supplied content.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CWE-79: User-session and phishing behavior lookup
Client-side and session-facing weaknesses should be reviewed alongside initial-access and user-execution behaviors. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2023-0791 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- High
- CVSS
- 8.3 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:L
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.
CVSS vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:L2.85.5Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
8.3HighVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:L
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://huntr.dev/bounties/7152b340-c6f3-4ac8-9f62-f764a267488dCVE reference
- https://github.com/thorsten/phpmyfaq/commit/26663efcb0b67e421e4ecccad8f19e7106bb03ceCVE reference
- https://huntr.com/bounties/7152b340-c6f3-4ac8-9f62-f764a267488dCVE reference · exploit
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')
Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.