CVE-2026-76212
phpMyFAQ before 4.1.7 LIKE Wildcard Injection via PostgreSQL
Description
phpMyFAQ before 4.1.7, when configured to use PostgreSQL via the native pgsql PHP extension, declares an incorrect LIKE ESCAPE character ('=') in the Search/Database/Pgsql.php backend while escapeLikeWildcards() escapes user input with the '|' prefix. As a result, wildcard escaping is a no-op and user-supplied % and _ characters remain active LIKE wildcards. An unauthenticated attacker can submit such characters in the public FAQ search form to force maximally broad pattern matches and expensive sequential scans, resulting in a denial of service. The PDO PostgreSQL backend is not affected, and quotes remain escaped so this does not enable quote-breaking SQL injection or data exfiltration.
INFO
Published Date :
Aug. 19, 2026, 2:17 p.m.
Last Modified :
Sept. 1, 2026, 3:20 p.m.
Remotely Exploit :
Yes !
Source :
[email protected]
CVSS Scores
| Score | Version | Severity | Vector | Exploitability Score | Impact Score | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS | 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0 | |||||
| CVSS 3.1 | MEDIUM | 83251b91-4cc7-4094-a5c7-464a1b83ea10 | ||||
| CVSS 3.1 | MEDIUM | [email protected] | ||||
| CVSS 3.1 | MEDIUM | MITRE-CVE | ||||
| CVSS 4.0 | MEDIUM | 83251b91-4cc7-4094-a5c7-464a1b83ea10 | ||||
| CVSS 4.0 | MEDIUM | [email protected] |
Solution
- Update phpMyFAQ to version 4.1.7 or later.
- Verify PostgreSQL LIKE escape character configuration.
- Monitor system performance for unusual activity.
References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools
Here, you will find a curated list of external links that provide in-depth
information, practical solutions, and valuable tools related to
CVE-2026-76212.
| URL | Resource |
|---|---|
| https://github.com/thorsten/phpMyFAQ/security/advisories/GHSA-5hx6-c293-588h | Exploit Mitigation Vendor Advisory |
| https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/phpmyfaq-before-like-wildcard-injection-via-postgresql | Third Party Advisory |
| https://github.com/thorsten/phpMyFAQ/security/advisories/GHSA-5hx6-c293-588h | Exploit Mitigation Vendor Advisory |
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration
While CVE identifies
specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or
weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2026-76212 is
associated with the following CWEs:
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification
(CAPEC)
stores attack patterns, which are descriptions of the common attributes and
approaches employed by adversaries to exploit the CVE-2026-76212
weaknesses.
We scan GitHub repositories to detect new proof-of-concept exploits. Following list is a collection of public exploits and proof-of-concepts, which have been published on GitHub (sorted by the most recently updated).
Results are limited to the first 15 repositories due to potential performance issues.
The following list is the news that have been mention
CVE-2026-76212 vulnerability anywhere in the article.
The following table lists the changes that have been made to the
CVE-2026-76212 vulnerability over time.
Vulnerability history details can be useful for understanding the evolution of a vulnerability, and for identifying the most recent changes that may impact the vulnerability's severity, exploitability, or other characteristics.
-
Initial Analysis by [email protected]
Sep. 01, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added CPE Configuration OR *cpe:2.3:a:phpmyfaq:phpmyfaq:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* versions up to (excluding) 4.1.7 Added Reference Type VulnCheck: https://github.com/thorsten/phpMyFAQ/security/advisories/GHSA-5hx6-c293-588h Types: Exploit, Mitigation, Vendor Advisory Added Reference Type VulnCheck: https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/phpmyfaq-before-like-wildcard-injection-via-postgresql Types: Third Party Advisory Added Reference Type CISA-ADP: https://github.com/thorsten/phpMyFAQ/security/advisories/GHSA-5hx6-c293-588h Types: Exploit, Mitigation, Vendor Advisory -
CVE Modified by 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0
Aug. 25, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added Reference https://github.com/thorsten/phpMyFAQ/security/advisories/GHSA-5hx6-c293-588h Added SSVC {'id': 'CVE-2026-76212', 'role': 'CISA Coordinator', 'options': [{'exploitation': 'poc'}, {'automatable': 'yes'}, {'technicalImpact': 'partial'}], 'version': '2.0.3', 'timestamp': '2026-08-25T01:54:57.342908Z'} -
New CVE Received by [email protected]
Aug. 19, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added Affected [{'vendor': 'thorsten', 'product': 'phpMyFAQ', 'versions': [{'status': 'affected', 'version': '4.2.0-alpha', 'lessThan': '4.1.7', 'versionType': 'semver'}, {'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '4.1.7', 'versionType': 'semver'}], 'defaultStatus': 'unaffected'}] Added Description phpMyFAQ before 4.1.7, when configured to use PostgreSQL via the native pgsql PHP extension, declares an incorrect LIKE ESCAPE character ('=') in the Search/Database/Pgsql.php backend while escapeLikeWildcards() escapes user input with the '|' prefix. As a result, wildcard escaping is a no-op and user-supplied % and _ characters remain active LIKE wildcards. An unauthenticated attacker can submit such characters in the public FAQ search form to force maximally broad pattern matches and expensive sequential scans, resulting in a denial of service. The PDO PostgreSQL backend is not affected, and quotes remain escaped so this does not enable quote-breaking SQL injection or data exfiltration. Added CVSS V4.0 AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X Added CVSS V3.1 AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L Added CWE CWE-88 Added Reference https://github.com/thorsten/phpMyFAQ/security/advisories/GHSA-5hx6-c293-588h Added Reference https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/phpmyfaq-before-like-wildcard-injection-via-postgresql