CVE-2015-8977
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 · uneditedMyBB (aka MyBulletinBoard) before 1.6.18 and 1.8.x before 1.8.6 and MyBB Merge System before 1.8.6 allow remote attackers to obtain the installation path via vectors involving error log 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 confidenceMyBB before versions 1.6.18 and 1.8.6 contains an information disclosure vulnerability where error log files expose the full installation path of the application. This path disclosure can aid attackers in constructing further attacks by revealing the exact filesystem location.
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<= 1.8.5<= 1.6.17= 1.8.0= 1.8.1= 1.8.2= 1.8.3= 1.8.4= 1.8.5CVSS 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
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/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.
-
Check MyBB installation versionLocate the version file in your MyBB installation (typically named version.php or visible in the admin control panel under the Dashboard or About section) and note the exact version numberAffected if The installed version is 1.6.17 or earlier, or any version from 1.8.0 through 1.8.5 (including the Merge System versions 1.8.5 or earlier)
-
Verify error logging is enabledExamine your MyBB configuration file (usually config.php in the inc directory) and look for settings related to error_logging, error_log, or debug modeAffected if Error logging or debug mode is turned on in the configuration
-
Locate error log filesSearch your MyBB installation directory for log files - common locations include a 'logs' folder, 'error_log' file, or files with 'log' in the filename within the directory structureAffected if Error log files exist in the installation directory
-
Confirm log file accessibilityAttempt to access error log files via a web browser using the URL pattern: yourdomain.com/path/to/mybb/error_log or yourdomain.com/path/to/mybb/logs/ (using directory listing or direct file access)Affected if The error log files are readable via HTTP requests without authentication
Your environment is affected if you run MyBB version 1.6.17 or earlier, or any version from 1.8.0 to 1.8.5, and error logging is enabled with log files accessible via the web server.
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 MyBB to version 1.6.18, 1.8.6 or later, or the corresponding MyBB Merge System version. Review and secure error log files to prevent unauthorized access.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation2.0 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 $1,984.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2015-8977 — 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-2015-8977 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