PatchSiren cyber security CVE debrief
CVE-2026-75920 thorsten CVE debrief
CVE-2026-75920 is a vulnerability in phpMyFAQ prior to version 4.1.6. The issue allows unauthenticated attackers to access sensitive files, including database credentials, by exploiting the writing of content backup ZIP archives to the web-accessible document root at content.zip. This can be achieved by racing concurrent requests to download the temporary ZIP file before deletion or by exploiting XSS in admin contexts to trigger authenticated backups and retrieve the archive. The vulnerability has a CVSS score of 6 and a severity rating of MEDIUM. Administrators and users of affected versions should be aware of this vulnerability and take necessary actions to prevent exploitation. The CVE record was published on 2026-08-19T14:17:42.527Z and has not been modified since then.
- Vendor
- thorsten
- Product
- phpMyFAQ
- CVSS
- MEDIUM 6
- CISA KEV
- Not listed in stored evidence
- Original CVE published
- 2026-08-19
- Original CVE updated
- 2026-09-01
- Advisory published
- 2026-08-19
- Advisory updated
- 2026-09-01
Who should care
Administrators and users of phpMyFAQ versions prior to 4.1.6 should be aware of this vulnerability and take necessary actions to prevent exploitation. This includes reviewing and updating phpMyFAQ to version 4.1.6 or later, restricting access to the document root, and monitoring for suspicious activity related to the content.zip file and database credentials. Additionally, security teams and vulnerability management teams should be aware of this vulnerability and prioritize patching or mitigating it as soon as possible to prevent potential attacks. Operators of affected systems should also review compensating controls and implement additional security measures to protect against potential exploitation. Platform administrators should review and update their security configurations to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive files. Vulnerability management teams should prioritize patching or mitigating this vulnerability based on its severity and potential impact on the organization. Security teams should review and update their incident response plans to address potential exploitation of this vulnerability. Asset inventory and change management teams should ensure that affected systems are properly tracked and updated to prevent potential exploitation. Monitoring and detection teams should review and update their monitoring configurations to detect potential exploitation attempts. Source tracking and logging teams should review and update their logging configurations to track potential exploitation attempts. Rollback and change window teams should prioritize patching or mitigating this vulnerability during their scheduled change windows. Compensating control teams should review and implement additional security measures to protect against potential exploitation. Exposure review teams should review and update their exposure assessments to address potential exploitation of this vulnerability. Vendor patch guidance teams should review and provide guidance on patching or mitigating this vulnerability. Monitoring teams should review and update their monitoring configurations to detect potential exploitation attempts. Asset inventory teams should review and update их资产
Technical summary
phpMyFAQ before v4.1.6 writes content backup ZIP archives to the web-accessible document root at content.zip, exposing sensitive files including database credentials. Unauthenticated attackers can race concurrent requests to download the temporary ZIP file before deletion, or exploit XSS in admin contexts to trigger authenticated backups and retrieve the archive. The vulnerability has a CVSS score of 6 and a severity rating of MEDIUM. The issue is caused by the lack of proper access controls on the document root, allowing unauthorized access to sensitive files. To mitigate this vulnerability, it is recommended to restrict access to the document root and update phpMyFAQ to version 4.1.6 or later.
Defensive priority
Medium-priority defensive actions are required to address this issue, as an unauthenticated attacker can exploit it to access sensitive files.
Recommended defensive actions
- Review and update phpMyFAQ to version 4.1.6 or later to prevent exposure of sensitive files.
- Restrict access to the document root to prevent unauthorized access to the content.zip file.
- Monitor for suspicious activity related to the content.zip file and database credentials.
- Confirm whether affected product deployments exist in managed environments and assign an owner for follow-up.
- Review the supplied official advisory or CVE record to validate affected scope, severity, and vendor guidance.
- Plan vendor-supported updates or mitigations through normal change control where exposure is confirmed.
- Check relevant monitoring, detection, and logs for exposed assets that need extra review.
Evidence notes
The CVE record indicates that phpMyFAQ before v4.1.6 writes content backup ZIP archives to the web-accessible document root at content.zip, exposing sensitive files including database credentials. However, detailed information about the vulnerability, such as the exact attack vector and potential impact, is limited in the provided source corpus.
Sources and references
Verified primary and authoritative sources
-
CVE-2026-75920 CVE Program record
Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified
URL: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-75920
CVE Program - Official CVE Program record with source-provided CVE metadata.
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CVE-2026-75920 NVD vulnerability detail
Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified
URL: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-75920
NIST National Vulnerability Database - Official NIST NVD detail page and source-specific vulnerability assessment.
Supplemental references
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Source reference
Unverified legacy reference
URL: https://github.com/thorsten/phpMyFAQ/security/advisories/GHSA-8hmh-mrx6-pqvf
[email protected] - Exploit, Vendor Advisory
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Source reference
Unverified legacy reference
URL: https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/phpmyfaq-before-information-disclosure-via-backup-zip
[email protected] - Third Party Advisory
Methodology and review provenance
AI-assisted synthesis based on stored public vulnerability evidence. System validation, approval state, and publication status do not by themselves establish human review of this revision. PatchSiren helps prioritize defensive review and does not prove exposure or remediation on any system.