Summary
phpMyFAQ Improper Access Control vulnerability
phpMyFAQ prior to version 3.1.13 does not properly validate email addresses when updating user profiles. This vulnerability allows an attacker to manipulate their email address and change it to another email address that is already registered in the system, including email addresses belonging to other users such as the administrator. Once the attacker has control of the other user's email address, they can request to remove the user from the system, leading to a loss of data and access.
Impact
CVE-2023-2429 has a CVSS score of 6.6 (Medium). The vector is requires local access, low privileges required, and no user interaction. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (3.1.13); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
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Kodem Kai can prioritize this vulnerability in your dependency tree and generate a fix recommendation.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2023-2429? CVE-2023-2429 is a medium-severity security vulnerability in thorsten/phpmyfaq (composer), affecting versions < 3.1.13. It is fixed in 3.1.13.
- How severe is CVE-2023-2429? CVE-2023-2429 has a CVSS score of 6.6 (Medium). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
- Which versions of thorsten/phpmyfaq are affected by CVE-2023-2429? thorsten/phpmyfaq (composer) versions < 3.1.13 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2023-2429? Yes. CVE-2023-2429 is fixed in 3.1.13. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2023-2429 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2023-2429 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
- What actually determines whether CVE-2023-2429 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
- How do I fix CVE-2023-2429? Upgrade
thorsten/phpmyfaqto 3.1.13 or later.