Medium Access control exploit reference

CVE-2026-24421 — phpMyFAQ missing authorization exposes /api/setup/backup to any authenticated user

phpMyFAQ is an open source FAQ web application. Versions 4.0.16 and below have flawed authorization logic which exposes the /api/setup/backup endpoint to any authenticated user despite their permissions. SetupController.php uses userIsAuthenticated() but does not verify that the requester has configuration/admin permissions. Non-admin users can trigger a configuration backup and retrieve its path. The endpoint only checks authentication, not authorization, and returns a link to the generated ZIP. This issue is fixed in version 4.0.17.

Published Jan 23, 2026 · Updated Oct 13, 2026 · Sources: NIST National Vulnerability Database, CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP · CNA: GitHub_M

Low

Who exploits it and how urgent it is

A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.

Exploit-DB · 1

How the score was calculated

Public exploit/PoC (exploitdb)+8
EPSS 1.8% (30-day exploitation probability)+12
Technical severity (medium)+3

The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).

Triage

Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.

Exploitation

Not confirmed

Not in CISA KEV — an absence of record, not proof it is unexploited.

EPSS FIRST

1.77%

ahead of 78% of scored CVEs · Oct 15, 2026

Affects

Phpmyfaq

CVSS base

6.5

Medium · 2 source(s)

CISA SSVC assessment CISA

Three decision points CISA publishes for the CVEs it assesses (SSVC 2.0.3). A stakeholder decision, not a severity score.

Exploitation

None

none · proof-of-concept · active

Automatable

can an attacker script the kill-chain steps

Technical impact

Partial

partial · total control of the vulnerable component

Remediation

Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.

No fix documented by the sources we poll. That does not mean none exists: check the vendor advisory.

First 24 hours

Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.

Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Phpmyfaq Phpmyfaq, Thorsten Phpmyfaq).
No fix documented in the sources: reduce exposure and monitor the vendor advisory.
Search available logs for exploit probes matching the vulnerability class (access control), errors and authentication anomalies.

Affected scope

Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.

Vendor	Product	Versions	Status	Source
Phpmyfaq	Phpmyfaq	< 4.0.17	Vulnerable	NIST National Vulnerability Database
Thorsten	Phpmyfaq	version < 4.0.17	Vulnerable	CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP

Attack characteristics

The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.

Attack vector

Network

Attack complexity

Low

Privileges required

Low

User interaction

None

Scope

Unchanged

Confidentiality

High

Integrity

None

Availability

None

Every base score collected

Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.

Score	Version	Severity	Expl.	Impact	Scored by
6.5	CVSS 3.1	Medium	2.8	3.6	security-advisories@github.com via NIST National Vulnerability Database
6.5	CVSS 3.1	Medium	—	—	GitHub_M via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N (score shown at the top: security-advisories@github.com)

Weakness MITRE

Weakness class according to MITRE’s CWE catalog.

CWE-862 · Missing Authorization

Other CVEs with this weakness →

Public exploits, PoCs and detection templates

Public code that demonstrates or tests the flaw raises the odds of mass exploitation — and Nuclei templates help find vulnerable assets in your environment.

Exploit-DB

phpMyFAQ 4.0.16 - Improper Authorization Apr 29, 2026

Warning: public PoCs are sometimes disguised malware. Use them only for authorized testing in an isolated environment. This portal does not host exploit code — it only points to the sources.

EPSS over time FIRST

Oct 13, 2026 → Oct 15, 2026 · 3 reading(s) · max 1.77%

Detection

Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.

Prioritize edge telemetry for the network-reachable component (proxy, WAF, IDS/IPS).
Audit administrative actions and access to resources outside each user’s normal pattern.

web/proxy/WAF logsnetwork IDS/IPSauthentication logsapplication logs

Timeline

What happened to this CVE, newest first.

2026
Affected products added · thorsten/phpmyfaq
Oct 13, 2026 · CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
SSVC assessment updated
Oct 13, 2026 · CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
Record published
Oct 13, 2026
CVSS changed · 6.5
Oct 13, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
Source status changed · → Analyzed
Oct 13, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
Record created in this database
Oct 13, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
CVE published
Jan 23, 2026 · GitHub_M

Source activity

Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.

1× Official description updated · Oct 13, 2026 – Oct 13, 2026

References

1 on the record

github.com/thorsten/phpMyFAQ/security/advisories/GHSA-wm8h-26fv-mg7g
Exploit, Vendor Advisory, x_refsource_CONFIRM, NIST National Vulnerability Database

Elsewhere on this site

Phpmyfaq
every CVE for this vendor

Access control
same class

CWE-862
other pages naming this weakness

Related CVEs (same products)

High CVE-2026-109573 phpMyFAQ before 4.1.9 SQL Injection via api/autocomplete Search Endpoint 3d
Low CVE-2026-108851 phpMyFAQ through 4.1.10 Missing Authorization via MCP Server faq_search Tool 4d
High CVE-2026-56738 phpMyFAQ has SQL Injection in `StopWords::add()` — Unescaped Stop Word Insertion 21d
Medium CVE-2026-47132 phpMyFAQ: SQL LIKE Wildcard Injection in Chat User Search Allows Authenticated User Enumeration 21d
High CVE-2026-56737 phpMyFAQ's two-factor authentication login bypasses the password factor 21d
High CVE-2026-56736 phpMyFAQ has Stored XSS in Admin FAQ Editor via HTML Entity Bypass in Frontend FAQ Submission 21d

Not in any source we poll

Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.

No fixed version, patch or mitigation documented.
No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.

Answered from this record

Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.

What should defenders know first?

CVE-2026-24421 is "phpMyFAQ missing authorization exposes /api/setup/backup to any authenticated user", rated Medium. It affects Phpmyfaq (Phpmyfaq); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. CVSS 6.5 describes technical severity. EPSS 1.77% estimates the probability of exploitation in 30 days; neither replaces your asset context. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.

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