CyberRota Analysis
AI-GeneratedphpMyFAQ versions prior to 4.1.7, when using PostgreSQL with the native pgsql PHP extension, improperly handle wildcard escaping in search queries, allowing unauthenticated attackers to exploit this vulnerability. By submitting specific characters in the public FAQ search form, attackers can trigger broad pattern matches that lead to denial of service through resource exhaustion. Organizations using affected versions with the pgsql extension should prioritize patching to mitigate potential service disruptions.
Public Exploit Signal
A public exploit, PoC, GitHub repository or Metasploit reference was detected for this CVE.
Note: these links are listed for security research and verification purposes only.
Original NVD 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.
Related CVEs
Other vulnerabilities affecting the same vendor(s)