phpMyFAQ has SQL Injection in StopWords::add() — Unescaped Stop Word Insertion

Exploitation

No confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next marks exploitation only from CISA KEV.

CVSS 4.0

8.5 · CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:H/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N · score source

EPSS

• CVE-2026-56738: 0.26% estimated exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 17.92 (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-03). This is a model estimate, not proof of exploitation or customer exposure.

As published by the source; long descriptions are shortened.

Summary The StopWords::add() method in phpMyFAQ builds a SQL INSERT statement using sprintf() and inserts the user-supplied stop word value directly into the query string without calling the application's database escaping function on it. A sibling method, StopWords::update(), which modifies an existing stop word, correctly escapes the same kind of input. The omission is isolated to the add() (insert) code path. An authenticated administrator who can reach the stop-word management feature can submit a crafted value as the "word" parameter that breaks out of the SQL string literal and injects arbitrary SQL, including statements to drop tables, exfiltrate data, or modify other rows in the database. --- Affected Code File: phpmyfaq/src/phpMyFAQ/StopWords.php Method: add() (approx. lines 60–75 in the audited revision) $word is taken directly from the administrative form input (the new stop word to add) and concatenated into the SQL string via sprintf("'%s'", ...) with no call to the…

Published by the source

24 Sep 2026, 19:30 UTC

Last modified by the source

24 Sep 2026, 19:45 UTC

Source last checked

26 Oct 2026, 14:53 UTC

1. Revision 3 · amended · 26 Oct 2026

   Amended from ghsa record GHSA-rw77-vq4g-x3hp

2. Revision 2 · amended · 25 Oct 2026

   Reviewed OSV alias/range/CVSS4 correction; package source scopes and original publication preserved. No customer finding resolved.

3. Revision 1 · created · 24 Oct 2026

   Published from osv record GHSA-rw77-vq4g-x3hp

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# Patch Next advisory brief: CVE-2026-56738

Advisory: phpMyFAQ has SQL Injection in `StopWords::add()` — Unescaped Stop Word Insertion
IDs: CVE-2026-56738, GHSA-rw77-vq4g-x3hp
Record: https://patchnext.com/advisories/cve-2026-56738 (revision 3, source checked 26 Oct 2026, 14:53 UTC)
Inventory: none attached. This brief comes from a public page and does not say whether any deployment is affected.
Severity: High (CVSS 8.5)
Exploitation: no confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next confirms exploitation only from CISA KEV.
Vendor response: Vendor fix available; fixed versions by package: phpmyfaq/phpmyfaq 4.1.6; thorsten/phpmyfaq 4.1.6. A vendor fix does not mean a deployment is fixed.

## Affected components
- Packagist phpmyfaq/phpmyfaq: affected <= 4.1.5; fixed in 4.1.6
- Packagist thorsten/phpmyfaq: affected <= 4.1.5; fixed in 4.1.6

## Suggested inspection (read-only)
- Packagist phpmyfaq/phpmyfaq: check the installed version with your package manager.
- Packagist thorsten/phpmyfaq: check the installed version with your package manager.

## Supported action
Upgrade each affected component to a fixed version on its release line. For a transitive dependency, upgrade the parent package or add an override or constraint, then regenerate the lockfile. Redeploy every environment that ran an affected version.

## Required regression checks
- Run the test suite and a production build.
- Exercise the features that depend on phpmyfaq/phpmyfaq, thorsten/phpmyfaq.
- Repeat the inspection and confirm that only fixed versions remain installed.

## Rollback considerations
- Keep the previous lockfile and deployment artifact. Rolling back reinstates the vulnerable version, so apply any documented mitigation while you fix forward.

## Unresolved questions
- Which deployments run an affected version?
- Exploitation status can change. Check again before lowering the priority.
- Mark the work resolved only after the fixed version is verified in production.

## Sources
- Verified: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/GHSA-rw77-vq4g-x3hp (OSV record GHSA-rw77-vq4g-x3hp lists affected ranges: Packagist phpmyfaq/phpmyfaq >=0 =0 <4.1.6 (fixed))
- Verified: https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-rw77-vq4g-x3hp (GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-rw77-vq4g-x3hp lists affected ranges: Packagist phpmyfaq/phpmyfaq >=0 =0 <=4.1.5)

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