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VulnerabilityPublished

CVE-2023-53894: Dulldusk phpfm · Weak Authentication

Affects Dulldusk phpfmSource CVE Database V5

0

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 9.3 Critical.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 09:15 UTC

CVSS 4.0 base score
9.3Critical
How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.
EPSS
0.6% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 49% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

Exploitation evidence

  1. Disclosed: evidence found.

    CVE published 16 Dec 2025

  2. Detectable: no evidence on record.

    No public nuclei template indexed

  3. Weaponised: no evidence on record.

    No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB

  4. Exploited in the wild: no evidence on record.

    Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation

  5. Observed by OffSeq Mirage: no evidence on record.

    No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.

What to do

Affected software

ProductAffectedFixed in
Dulldusk phpfmAffected
  • =1.7.9
Fixed in–

AI-suggested

1. Immediately restrict access to the phpfm interface by IP whitelisting or VPN-only access to reduce exposure. 2. Implement web application firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block suspicious login attempts with hashes starting with '0e' or '00e'. 3. Monitor server logs for unusual authentication patterns or file uploads indicative of exploitation attempts. 4. Disable or remove phpfm if not essential, or replace it with a more secure file management solution. 5. Apply principle of least privilege to the web server user accounts to limit damage from potential compromise. 6. Once available, promptly apply official patches or updates from Dulldusk addressing this vulnerability. 7. Conduct internal audits to identify all instances of phpfm 1.7.9 in the environment. 8. Employ multi-factor authentication (MFA) or additional authentication layers around phpfm access points. 9. Regularly back up web server data and verify restoration procedures to mitigate ransomware or destructive attacks. 10. Educate IT staff about this vulnerability and ensure incident response plans include scenarios involving phpfm compromise.

Description

phpfm 1.7.9 contains an authentication bypass vulnerability that allows attackers to log in by exploiting loose type comparison in password hash validation. Attackers can craft specific password hashes beginning with 0e or 00e to bypass authentication and upload malicious PHP files to the server.

References

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