VulnerabilityPublished 29 Dec 2025

CVE-2025-69200: thorsten phpMyFAQ · Exposure of Sensitive Information Through Data Queries

Affects thorsten phpMyFAQSource CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · public detection template (Nuclei) · CVSS 7.5 High : upgrade to 4.0.16 soon.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 09:15 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

7.5High

How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

EPSS: 2.1% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 81% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Patch: Available – fixed in 4.0.16

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

Attack Vector: Network
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: High
Integrity: None
Availability: None

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Vector: Network: The vulnerable component is bound to the network stack and the set of possible attackers extends beyond the other options listed, up to and including the entire Internet. Such a vulnerability is often termed 'remotely exploitable' and can be thought of as an attack being exploitable at the protocol level one or more network hops away (e.g., across one or more routers).
Attack Complexity: Low: Specialized access conditions or extenuating circumstances do not exist. An attacker can expect repeatable success against the vulnerable component.
Privileges Required: None: The attacker is unauthorized prior to attack, and therefore does not require any access to settings or files to carry out an attack.
User Interaction: None: The vulnerable system can be exploited without any interaction from any user.
Scope: Unchanged: An exploited vulnerability can only affect resources managed by the same security authority. In this case, the vulnerable component and the impacted component are either the same, or both are managed by the same security authority.
Confidentiality: High: There is total loss of confidentiality, resulting in all resources within the impacted component being divulged to the attacker. Alternatively, access to only some restricted information is obtained, but the disclosed information presents a direct, serious impact.
Integrity: None: There is no loss of integrity within the impacted component.
Availability: None: There is no impact to availability within the impacted component.

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v3.1 specification.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 29 Dec 2025
Detectable: evidence found.
nuclei template: phpMyFAQ - Configuration Backup Disclosure
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by 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.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponised: Public exploit code exists in Metasploit or Exploit-DB, or CISA SSVC reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

Upgrade thorsten/phpMyFAQ to 4.0.16.

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
GitHubthorsten/phpMyFAQ`pkg:github/thorsten/phpMyFAQ`Other threats	Affected <4.0.16	Fixed in 4.0.16

Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.

AI-suggested

European organizations should immediately upgrade all phpMyFAQ installations to version 4.0.16 or later to remediate this vulnerability. Until upgrades can be applied, organizations should implement strict network-level access controls to restrict access to the /api/setup/backup endpoint, ideally limiting it to trusted administrative IP addresses only. Web server configurations should be reviewed to prevent direct access to backup files or directories where such archives might be stored. Monitoring and logging of access to backup-related endpoints should be enabled to detect any suspicious activity. Additionally, organizations should audit their phpMyFAQ configurations and remove any unnecessary backup files from web-accessible locations. Regular vulnerability scanning and penetration testing should include checks for this vulnerability. Finally, organizations should review database credentials and rotate them if there is any suspicion of compromise due to this vulnerability.

Description

phpMyFAQ is an open source FAQ web application. In versions prior to 4.0.16, an unauthenticated remote attacker can trigger generation of a configuration backup ZIP via `POST /api/setup/backup` and then download the generated ZIP from a web-accessible location. The ZIP contains sensitive configuration files (e.g., `database.php` with database credentials), leading to high-impact information disclosure and potential follow-on compromise. Version 4.0.16 fixes the issue.

Impact

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a substantial risk to confidentiality, particularly for entities that deploy phpMyFAQ in public-facing environments or intranets with insufficient access controls. Exposure of database credentials can lead to unauthorized access to backend databases, potentially resulting in data breaches involving personal data protected under GDPR. This can cause regulatory penalties, reputational damage, and operational disruptions. Organizations in sectors such as government, healthcare, finance, and critical infrastructure that rely on phpMyFAQ for knowledge management may face increased risk of targeted attacks leveraging this vulnerability. Additionally, the ease of exploitation without authentication means attackers can operate remotely and anonymously, increasing the threat landscape. The lack of impact on integrity and availability limits direct service disruption, but the potential for follow-on attacks elevates the overall risk profile.

CWE-202Exposure of Sensitive Information Through Data Queries (opens in a new tab)
Base weaknessLikelihood of exploit: Medium
When trying to keep information confidential, an attacker can often infer some of the information by using statistics.
Architecture and Design
This is a complex topic. See the for a good discussion of best practices.
OWASP ASVS 4.0.3
V8.3.8 (opens in a new tab)
V13.4.2 (opens in a new tab)
V7.2.2 (opens in a new tab)
From MITRE CWE, MITRE CAPEC and OWASP (Top 10, OpenCRE).

References

Community reviews

Loading reviews…

Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 30 Dec 2025, 23:40 UTC

Public exploits and detectiona Nuclei detection template

WeaknessesCWE-202

Technical details

References

Community reviews

Related threats