CVE-2011-3768
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 · uneditedPhorum 5.2.15a allows remote attackers to obtain sensitive information via a direct request to a .php file, which reveals the installation path in an error message, as demonstrated by css.php and certain other files.
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 confidencePhorum 5.2.15a contains an information disclosure vulnerability where directly requesting certain PHP files (such as css.php) without proper parameters triggers error messages that reveal the full server installation path. This path disclosure can aid attackers in reconnaissance for subsequent attacks.
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= 5.2.15aCVSS 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
- None
- Availability
- None
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:N/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.
-
Confirm Phorum versionLocate the version file or header in the Phorum installation directory. Typically found in a VERSION or INI file, or check the admin panel for the installed version number.Affected if The installed version is exactly 5.2.15a
-
Identify accessible PHP include filesLocate files such as css.php in the Phorum web root directory. Common paths include include/css.php or similar include directory locations.Affected if Files like css.php exist and are directly accessible via HTTP in the web root
-
Test for path disclosure via direct requestSend an HTTP GET request to css.php (or similar include files) without providing any required parameters. For example: GET /include/css.php HTTP/1.1Affected if The response contains the full server filesystem path (such as /var/www/html/phorum/ or C:\inetpub\wwwroot\phorum\) in error messages or warnings
-
Verify error handling exposes pathsExamine the HTTP response body from the direct request for path information in PHP error messages, warnings, or stack traces.Affected if Error output displays absolute paths to the Phorum installation directory
A Phorum installation is affected if it is version 5.2.15a and directly accessing include files like css.php via HTTP without parameters exposes the full server filesystem path in error messages.
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 dataRestrict direct access to include files and implement proper error handling that displays generic messages without exposing filesystem paths. Files intended for inclusion should not be directly accessible via HTTP requests.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,560.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2011-3768 — 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-2011-3768 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
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.
- 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
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data