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Merge SystemApplication · Mybb

CVE-2015-8974

CRITICAL · 10.0 CVSS v3.0 Published 2017-01-31
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 1.8.5 or later.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

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 · unedited
SQL injection vulnerability in the Group Promotions module in the admin control panel in MyBB (aka MyBulletinBoard) before 1.6.18 and 1.8.x before 1.8.6 and MyBB Merge System before 1.8.6 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands via unspecified vectors.

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 confidence

SQL injection vulnerability in MyBB's Group Promotions module within the admin control panel allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary SQL commands via unspecified vectors. This affects MyBB versions prior to 1.6.18 and 1.8.x prior to 1.8.6, as well as the MyBB Merge System prior to 1.8.6.

MitigationUpgrade MyBB to version 1.6.18 or 1.8.6 or later to patch the SQL injection vulnerability in the Group Promotions module. If immediate patching is not possible, restrict admin panel access to trusted users only as a temporary mitigation.

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
Merge SystemApplication
Affected:<= 1.8.5
MybbApplication
Affected:<= 1.6.17= 1.8.0= 1.8.1= 1.8.2= 1.8.3= 1.8.4= 1.8.5

CVSS 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
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Changed
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H

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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Check your MyBB version
    Locate the version file in your MyBB installation. Common paths include inc/version.php or check the admin dashboard footer for the version number.
    Affected if The installed version is MyBB 1.6.17 or earlier, or any version from 1.8.0 to 1.8.5, or MyBB Merge System 1.8.5 or earlier.
  2. Verify admin panel access exists
    Determine whether your admin control panel is accessible. This vulnerability requires access to the admin control panel.
    Affected if The admin control panel is accessible and the MyBB version falls within the affected ranges listed above.
  3. Confirm Group Promotions module presence
    Navigate to your admin control panel and check if the Group Promotions module exists under the Users or promotions section.
    Affected if The Group Promotions module is present and the version is within the affected ranges.

Your environment is affected if you are running MyBB version 1.6.17 or earlier, or any version from 1.8.0 to 1.8.5, or MyBB Merge System 1.8.5 or earlier, and you have access to the admin control panel with the Group Promotions module available.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 1.8.5
Interim mitigation

Upgrade MyBB to version 1.6.18 or 1.8.6 or later to patch the SQL injection vulnerability in the Group Promotions module. If immediate patching is not possible, restrict admin panel access to trusted users only as a temporary mitigation.

Recommended fix High confidence

MyBB 1.6.18 (for 1.6.x) or 1.8.6 (for 1.8.x), and MyBB Merge System 1.8.6

  1. Back up your MyBB database and files before upgrading
  2. Download MyBB 1.6.18 from the official MyBB downloads page (for 1.6.x installations)
  3. Download MyBB 1.8.6 from the official MyBB downloads page (for 1.8.x installations)
  4. Download MyBB Merge System 1.8.6 if using the merge system
  5. Upload the new files, overwriting existing files except for inc/config.php and any custom theme/template files
  6. Run the upgrade script by accessing your forum URL (e.g., https://example.com/forum/install/upgrade.php)
  7. Complete the upgrade wizard and verify the installation
  8. Test the Group Promotions module in the admin control panel to confirm functionality
Caveat Minor: Review plugin compatibility as some older plugins may not work with the new version

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Merge System Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation3.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
10.0 hours of engineering $1,750
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An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,800.

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2015-8974 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

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.

What belongs here
  • 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