CVE-2005-3048
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedDirectory traversal vulnerability in index.php in PhpMyFaq 1.5.1 allows remote attackers to read arbitrary files or include arbitrary PHP files via a .. (dot dot) in the LANGCODE parameter, which also allows direct code injection via the User Agent field in a request packet, which can be activated by using LANGCODE to reference the user tracking data file.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceDirectory traversal vulnerability in PhpMyFaq 1.5.1's index.php allows remote attackers to read arbitrary files or include arbitrary PHP files via '..' sequences in the LANGCODE parameter. Additionally, the User Agent field enables direct code injection when LANGCODE references the user tracking data file.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data= 1.5.1CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Authentication
- None
- Confidentiality
- Partial
- Integrity
- Partial
- Availability
- None
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:N
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify installed PhpMyFaq versionLocate the version file or header in the PhpMyFaq installation directory. Common locations include a version.php file, CHANGELOG file, or the main index.php which often displays the version in comments or meta tags.Affected if The installed version is exactly 1.5.1 or falls within the 1.5.x branch without the patch applied.
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Verify the LANGCODE parameter is accessibleTest if the index.php accepts a LANGCODE parameter by making a request such as: index.php?LANGCODE=test. Check if the application attempts to load a language file based on this parameter.Affected if The LANGCODE parameter is processed and used to construct file paths without proper validation.
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Confirm User Agent logging is activeExamine the PhpMyFaq configuration and user tracking functionality. Look for files that store or log User Agent data, typically in a session, tracking, or logging module.Affected if User Agent information is being recorded to a file that can be referenced by LANGCODE, allowing injected PHP code to be executed.
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Check for lack of input sanitizationReview the code handling the LANGCODE parameter in index.php or the language loading mechanism. Look for absence of checks that block '..' sequences or sanitize the User Agent field.Affected if The LANGCODE parameter accepts '..' sequences without rejection and the User Agent field is not sanitized before being written to a file.
A system is affected if it runs PhpMyFaq version 1.5.1 with the LANGCODE parameter handling enabled and User Agent logging active, allowing directory traversal or code injection via unsanitized input.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor dataUpgrade PhpMyFaq to a patched version or implement strict input validation on the LANGCODE parameter to reject '..' sequences and sanitize the User Agent field before use.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,088.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2005-3048 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2005-3048 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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