# CVE-2026-35671: phpMyFAQ IDOR in admin API user password endpoint

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-35671-phpmyfaq-idor-in-admin-api-user-password-endpoint  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-05-28. Updated: 2026-05-28  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-35671 · Severity: high · CVSS 8.8 · Published 2026-05-28

phpMyFAQ, an open-source FAQ software, contains a security flaw in its administrative interface. An attacker with low-level administrative access can change the password of any other user, including the system's SuperAdmin. This allows a minor administrative user to take full control of the entire application and its data.

Technologies: [phpmyfaq/phpmyfaq (Packagist)](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/phpmyfaq-phpmyfaq), [thorsten/phpmyfaq (Packagist)](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/thorsten-phpmyfaq). Vendors: [Packagist](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/packagist).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-35671 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-35671 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-35671?** High severity, with a CVSS score of 8.8, published 28 May 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** phpmyfaq/phpmyfaq (Packagist) ECOSYSTEM:introduced=0,fixed=4.1.3; thorsten/phpmyfaq (Packagist) ECOSYSTEM:introduced=0,fixed=4.1.3.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-35671?** Yes. phpmyfaq/phpmyfaq (Packagist): upgrade to 4.1.3 or later; thorsten/phpmyfaq (Packagist): upgrade to 4.1.3 or later. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**How is CVE-2026-35671 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in a network appliance.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-35671?** Check whether you run phpmyfaq/phpmyfaq (Packagist) or thorsten/phpmyfaq (Packagist) at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## How to fix

- phpmyfaq/phpmyfaq (Packagist): upgrade to 4.1.3 or later

  ```sh
  composer require phpmyfaq/phpmyfaq:^4.1.3
  ```

- thorsten/phpmyfaq (Packagist): upgrade to 4.1.3 or later

  ```sh
  composer require thorsten/phpmyfaq:^4.1.3
  ```


## Technical details

An Insecure Direct Object Reference (IDOR) exists in the `overwritePassword()` method within `src/phpMyFAQ/Controller/Administration/Api/UserController.php`. The application fails to verify if the requesting administrator has the authority to modify the specific `userId` provided in the PUT request to `/admin/api/user/overwrite-password`. While the endpoint checks for general `USER_EDIT` permissions, it does not validate that the target user has a lower or equal privilege level. Consequently, a low-privileged administrator can escalate their privileges to SuperAdmin by targeting `userId=1`. This issue is resolved in version 4.1.3.

## Affected products

- thorsten phpMyFAQ < 4.1.3

## Identifiers

- CVE-2026-35671
- GHSA-xvp4-phqj-cjr3

## Timeline

- 2026-05-14: advisory: GitHub Security Advisory published
- 2026-05-28: disclosed: CVE published to NVD

## References

- [https://github.com/thorsten/phpMyFAQ/security/advisories/GHSA-xvp4-phqj-cjr3](https://github.com/thorsten/phpMyFAQ/security/advisories/GHSA-xvp4-phqj-cjr3)
- [https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/phpmyfaq-insecure-direct-object-reference-in-user-password-api](https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/phpmyfaq-insecure-direct-object-reference-in-user-password-api)

## Related threats

- [phpMyFAQ SQL injection in StopWords::add()](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-56738-phpmyfaq-sql-injection-in-stopwords-add)
- [phpMyFAQ SQL LIKE wildcard injection in chat user search](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-47132-phpmyfaq-sql-like-wildcard-injection-in-chat-user-search)
- [phpMyFAQ two-factor authentication password bypass](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-56737-phpmyfaq-two-factor-authentication-password-bypass)
- [phpMyFAQ stored XSS in admin FAQ editor via HTML entity bypass](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-56736-phpmyfaq-stored-xss-in-admin-faq-editor-via-html-entity-bypass)
- [phpMyFAQ information disclosure of inactive FAQ content in public API](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-57994-phpmyfaq-information-disclosure-of-inactive-faq-content-in-public)