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Simple Machines ForumApplication · Simplemachines

CVE-2018-10305

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.0 Published 2018-04-24
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 2.0.15 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
The MessageSearch2 function in PersonalMessage.php in Simple Machines Forum (SMF) before 2.0.15 does not properly use the possible_users variable in a query, which might allow attackers to bypass intended access restrictions.

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

The MessageSearch2 function in Simple Machines Forum's PersonalMessage.php fails to properly handle the possible_users variable when constructing SQL queries. This improper variable usage allows attackers to manipulate the query logic and bypass access restrictions on personal messages, potentially exposing private communications.

MitigationUpgrade Simple Machines Forum to version 2.0.15 or later to resolve the insecure query handling in the MessageSearch2 function.

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
Simple Machines ForumApplication
Affected:< 2.0.15

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
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/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. Identify your Simple Machines Forum version
    Locate the version file or check the version string in your SMF installation (typically in Settings.php or a version-specific file). Compare this version to the affected range: versions prior to 2.0.15 are affected.
    Affected if Your installed SMF version is less than 2.0.15
  2. Locate the PersonalMessage.php file
    Find the PersonalMessage.php file within your SMF source code directory, typically in the root or sources folder of your installation.
    Affected if The file exists in your installation and contains the MessageSearch2 function
  3. Inspect the MessageSearch2 function for the possible_users variable
    Open PersonalMessage.php and locate the MessageSearch2 function. Examine how the possible_users variable is used when constructing SQL queries within this function.
    Affected if The function uses possible_users in SQL query construction without proper sanitization or parameterization, allowing query manipulation
  4. Verify if personal messaging feature is accessible
    Confirm that the personal messaging module is enabled and accessible to users on your forum (check forum settings and user permissions).
    Affected if Personal messaging is enabled and users can access the message search functionality

Your environment is affected if you are running Simple Machines Forum version less than 2.0.15 and the vulnerable MessageSearch2 function with unsafe possible_users handling exists in your PersonalMessage.php file.

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 2.0.15 or later
Fixed in 2.0.15
Interim mitigation

Upgrade Simple Machines Forum to version 2.0.15 or later to resolve the insecure query handling in the MessageSearch2 function.

Recommended fix High confidence

2.0.15

  1. Backup your current Simple Machines Forum installation and database
  2. Download Simple Machines Forum version 2.0.15 from the official source at www.simplemachines.org
  3. Upload the version 2.0.15 files to your server, overwriting the existing installation
  4. Run any database upgrade scripts if prompted during the upgrade process
  5. Verify the installation is working correctly and the version shows 2.0.15

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

Fix this in Simple Machines Forum Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation1.0 h
  • Implementation1.0 h
  • Testing1.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
4.0 hours of engineering $750
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,200.

Scan for this in your stack

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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-2018-10305 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