phpMyFAQ: /api/setup/backup accessible to any authenticated user (authz missing)
The advisory, in context
Summary
Authenticated non‑admin users can call /api/setup/backup and trigger a configuration backup. The endpoint only checks authentication, not authorization, and returns a link to the generated ZIP.
Details
SetupController.php uses userIsAuthenticated() but does not verify that the requester has configuration/admin permissions. This allows any logged‑in user to create a sensitive backup and retrieve its path.
PoC
Precondition: API enabled, any authenticated non‑admin user.
- Log in as a non‑admin user.
- Call backup endpoint.
curl -c /tmp/pmf_api_cookies.txt \
-H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
-d '{"username":"tester","password":"Test1234!"}' \
http://192.168.40.16/phpmyfaq/api/v3.0/login
curl -i -b /tmp/pmf_api_cookies.txt \
-X POST --data '4.0.16' \
http://192.168.40.16/phpmyfaq/api/setup/backup
Impact
Low‑privileged users can generate sensitive backups. If the ZIP is web‑accessible (server misconfiguration), this can lead to secret exposure.
Affected packages
Start with the recorded fix for your release branch. Check your installed version and test compatibility before upgrading. Fixing this advisory does not rule out other vulnerabilities in the release.
Earlier releases before 4.0.17
Fixed in 4.0.17
155 explicitly affected versions
2.10.0-alpha, 2.8.0, 2.8.0-RC, 2.8.0-RC2, 2.8.0-RC3, 2.8.0-RC4, 2.8.0-alpha2, 2.8.0-alpha3, 2.8.0-beta, 2.8.0-beta2, 2.8.0-beta3, 2.8.1, 2.8.10, 2.8.11, 2.8.12, 2.8.13, 2.8.14, 2.8.15, 2.8.16, 2.8.17, 2.8.18, 2.8.19, 2.8.2, 2.8.20, 2.8.21, 2.8.22, 2.8.23, 2.8.24, 2.8.25, 2.8.26, 2.8.27, 2.8.28, 2.8.29, 2.8.3, 2.8.4, 2.8.5, 2.8.6, 2.8.7, 2.8.8, 2.8.9, 2.9.0, 2.9.0-alpha, 2.9.0-alpha2, 2.9.0-alpha3, 2.9.0-alpha4, 2.9.0-beta, 2.9.0-beta2, 2.9.0-rc, 2.9.0-rc2, 2.9.0-rc3, 2.9.0-rc4, 2.9.1, 2.9.10, 2.9.11, 2.9.12, 2.9.13, 2.9.2, 2.9.3, 2.9.4, 2.9.5, 2.9.6, 2.9.7, 2.9.8, 2.9.9, 3.0.0, 3.0.0-RC, 3.0.0-RC.2, 3.0.0-alpha, 3.0.0-alpha.2, 3.0.0-alpha.3, 3.0.0-alpha.4, 3.0.0-beta, 3.0.0-beta.2, 3.0.0-beta.3, 3.0.1, 3.0.10, 3.0.11, 3.0.12, 3.0.2, 3.0.3, 3.0.4, 3.0.5, 3.0.6, 3.0.7, 3.0.8, 3.0.9, 3.1.0, 3.1.0-RC, 3.1.0-alpha, 3.1.0-alpha.2, 3.1.0-alpha.3, 3.1.0-beta, 3.1.1, 3.1.10, 3.1.11, 3.1.12, 3.1.13, 3.1.14, 3.1.15, 3.1.16, 3.1.17, 3.1.18, 3.1.2, 3.1.3, 3.1.4, 3.1.5, 3.1.6, 3.1.7, 3.1.8, 3.1.9, 3.2.0, 3.2.0-RC, 3.2.0-RC.2, 3.2.0-RC.4, 3.2.0-alpha, 3.2.0-beta, 3.2.0-beta.2, 3.2.1, 3.2.10, 3.2.2, 3.2.3, 3.2.4, 3.2.5, 3.2.6, 3.2.7, 3.2.8, 3.2.9, 4.0.0, 4.0.0-RC, 4.0.0-RC.2, 4.0.0-RC.3, 4.0.0-RC.4, 4.0.0-RC.5, 4.0.0-alpha, 4.0.0-alpha.2, 4.0.0-alpha.3, 4.0.0-alpha.4, 4.0.0-beta, 4.0.0-beta.2, 4.0.1, 4.0.10, 4.0.11, 4.0.12, 4.0.13, 4.0.14, 4.0.15, 4.0.16, 4.0.2, 4.0.3, 4.0.4, 4.0.5, 4.0.6, 4.0.7, 4.0.8, 4.0.9
View affected-version evidence
{
"ranges": [
{
"events": [
{
"introduced": "0"
},
{
"fixed": "4.0.17"
}
],
"type": "ECOSYSTEM"
}
],
"versions": [
"2.10.0-alpha",
"2.8.0",
"2.8.0-RC",
"2.8.0-RC2",
"2.8.0-RC3",
"2.8.0-RC4",
"2.8.0-alpha2",
"2.8.0-alpha3",
"2.8.0-beta",
"2.8.0-beta2",
"2.8.0-beta3",
"2.8.1",
"2.8.10",
"2.8.11",
"2.8.12",
"2.8.13",
"2.8.14",
"2.8.15",
"2.8.16",
"2.8.17",
"2.8.18",
"2.8.19",
"2.8.2",
"2.8.20",
"2.8.21",
"2.8.22",
"2.8.23",
"2.8.24",
"2.8.25",
"2.8.26",
"2.8.27",
"2.8.28",
"2.8.29",
"2.8.3",
"2.8.4",
"2.8.5",
"2.8.6",
"2.8.7",
"2.8.8",
"2.8.9",
"2.9.0",
"2.9.0-alpha",
"2.9.0-alpha2",
"2.9.0-alpha3",
"2.9.0-alpha4",
"2.9.0-beta",
"2.9.0-beta2",
"2.9.0-rc",
"2.9.0-rc2",
"2.9.0-rc3",
"2.9.0-rc4",
"2.9.1",
"2.9.10",
"2.9.11",
"2.9.12",
"2.9.13",
"2.9.2",
"2.9.3",
"2.9.4",
"2.9.5",
"2.9.6",
"2.9.7",
"2.9.8",
"2.9.9",
"3.0.0",
"3.0.0-RC",
"3.0.0-RC.2",
"3.0.0-alpha",
"3.0.0-alpha.2",
"3.0.0-alpha.3",
"3.0.0-alpha.4",
"3.0.0-beta",
"3.0.0-beta.2",
"3.0.0-beta.3",
"3.0.1",
"3.0.10",
"3.0.11",
"3.0.12",
"3.0.2",
"3.0.3",
"3.0.4",
"3.0.5",
"3.0.6",
"3.0.7",
"3.0.8",
"3.0.9",
"3.1.0",
"3.1.0-RC",
"3.1.0-alpha",
"3.1.0-alpha.2",
"3.1.0-alpha.3",
"3.1.0-beta",
"3.1.1",
"3.1.10",
"3.1.11",
"3.1.12",
"3.1.13",
"3.1.14",
"3.1.15",
"3.1.16",
"3.1.17",
"3.1.18",
"3.1.2",
"3.1.3",
"3.1.4",
"3.1.5",
"3.1.6",
"3.1.7",
"3.1.8",
"3.1.9",
"3.2.0",
"3.2.0-RC",
"3.2.0-RC.2",
"3.2.0-RC.4",
"3.2.0-alpha",
"3.2.0-beta",
"3.2.0-beta.2",
"3.2.1",
"3.2.10",
"3.2.2",
"3.2.3",
"3.2.4",
"3.2.5",
"3.2.6",
"3.2.7",
"3.2.8",
"3.2.9",
"4.0.0",
"4.0.0-RC",
"4.0.0-RC.2",
"4.0.0-RC.3",
"4.0.0-RC.4",
"4.0.0-RC.5",
"4.0.0-alpha",
"4.0.0-alpha.2",
"4.0.0-alpha.3",
"4.0.0-alpha.4",
"4.0.0-beta",
"4.0.0-beta.2",
"4.0.1",
"4.0.10",
"4.0.11",
"4.0.12",
"4.0.13",
"4.0.14",
"4.0.15",
"4.0.16",
"4.0.2",
"4.0.3",
"4.0.4",
"4.0.5",
"4.0.6",
"4.0.7",
"4.0.8",
"4.0.9"
]
}Earlier releases before 4.0.17
Fixed in 4.0.17
155 explicitly affected versions
2.10.0-alpha, 2.8.0, 2.8.0-RC, 2.8.0-RC2, 2.8.0-RC3, 2.8.0-RC4, 2.8.0-alpha2, 2.8.0-alpha3, 2.8.0-beta, 2.8.0-beta2, 2.8.0-beta3, 2.8.1, 2.8.10, 2.8.11, 2.8.12, 2.8.13, 2.8.14, 2.8.15, 2.8.16, 2.8.17, 2.8.18, 2.8.19, 2.8.2, 2.8.20, 2.8.21, 2.8.22, 2.8.23, 2.8.24, 2.8.25, 2.8.26, 2.8.27, 2.8.28, 2.8.29, 2.8.3, 2.8.4, 2.8.5, 2.8.6, 2.8.7, 2.8.8, 2.8.9, 2.9.0, 2.9.0-alpha, 2.9.0-alpha2, 2.9.0-alpha3, 2.9.0-alpha4, 2.9.0-beta, 2.9.0-beta2, 2.9.0-rc, 2.9.0-rc2, 2.9.0-rc3, 2.9.0-rc4, 2.9.1, 2.9.10, 2.9.11, 2.9.12, 2.9.13, 2.9.2, 2.9.3, 2.9.4, 2.9.5, 2.9.6, 2.9.7, 2.9.8, 2.9.9, 3.0.0, 3.0.0-RC, 3.0.0-RC.2, 3.0.0-alpha, 3.0.0-alpha.2, 3.0.0-alpha.3, 3.0.0-alpha.4, 3.0.0-beta, 3.0.0-beta.2, 3.0.0-beta.3, 3.0.1, 3.0.10, 3.0.11, 3.0.12, 3.0.2, 3.0.3, 3.0.4, 3.0.5, 3.0.6, 3.0.7, 3.0.8, 3.0.9, 3.1.0, 3.1.0-RC, 3.1.0-alpha, 3.1.0-alpha.2, 3.1.0-alpha.3, 3.1.0-beta, 3.1.1, 3.1.10, 3.1.11, 3.1.12, 3.1.13, 3.1.14, 3.1.15, 3.1.16, 3.1.17, 3.1.18, 3.1.2, 3.1.3, 3.1.4, 3.1.5, 3.1.6, 3.1.7, 3.1.8, 3.1.9, 3.2.0, 3.2.0-RC, 3.2.0-RC.2, 3.2.0-RC.4, 3.2.0-alpha, 3.2.0-beta, 3.2.0-beta.2, 3.2.1, 3.2.10, 3.2.2, 3.2.3, 3.2.4, 3.2.5, 3.2.6, 3.2.7, 3.2.8, 3.2.9, 4.0.0, 4.0.0-RC, 4.0.0-RC.2, 4.0.0-RC.3, 4.0.0-RC.4, 4.0.0-RC.5, 4.0.0-alpha, 4.0.0-alpha.2, 4.0.0-alpha.3, 4.0.0-alpha.4, 4.0.0-beta, 4.0.0-beta.2, 4.0.1, 4.0.10, 4.0.11, 4.0.12, 4.0.13, 4.0.14, 4.0.15, 4.0.16, 4.0.2, 4.0.3, 4.0.4, 4.0.5, 4.0.6, 4.0.7, 4.0.8, 4.0.9
View affected-version evidence
{
"ranges": [
{
"events": [
{
"introduced": "0"
},
{
"fixed": "4.0.17"
}
],
"type": "ECOSYSTEM"
}
],
"versions": [
"2.10.0-alpha",
"2.8.0",
"2.8.0-RC",
"2.8.0-RC2",
"2.8.0-RC3",
"2.8.0-RC4",
"2.8.0-alpha2",
"2.8.0-alpha3",
"2.8.0-beta",
"2.8.0-beta2",
"2.8.0-beta3",
"2.8.1",
"2.8.10",
"2.8.11",
"2.8.12",
"2.8.13",
"2.8.14",
"2.8.15",
"2.8.16",
"2.8.17",
"2.8.18",
"2.8.19",
"2.8.2",
"2.8.20",
"2.8.21",
"2.8.22",
"2.8.23",
"2.8.24",
"2.8.25",
"2.8.26",
"2.8.27",
"2.8.28",
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"2.9.12",
"2.9.13",
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]
}