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Duplicate email registration allows multiple accounts with the same email in phpMyFAQ

High
thorsten published GHSA-9wj2-4hcm-r74j Oct 3, 2025

Package

phpMyFAQ

Affected versions

4.0.7

Patched versions

N/A

Description

Summary

phpMyFAQ does not enforce uniqueness of email addresses during user registration. This allows multiple distinct accounts to be created with the same email. Because email is often used as an identifier for password resets, notifications, and administrative actions, this flaw can cause account ambiguity and, in certain configurations, may lead to privilege escalation or account takeover.

Details

An account management logic flaw in phpMyFAQ allows attackers to register multiple accounts under the same email address. If email is used for password reset or administrative flows, this may result in account takeover, loss of accountability, and abuse of business logic.

PoC

1.Register a user with email [email protected]
2.Register another user with the same email.
3.Both accounts appear in /admin/?action=user&user_action=listallusers.
image

Impact

-Data integrity loss: Multiple accounts mapped to one email break auditability.
-Password reset ambiguity: If reset flow relies on email only, attackers can target or take over accounts.
-Privilege escalation: If one account with the same email has admin privileges, an attacker controlling the email may escalate.
-Spam / DoS: Attackers can mass-register accounts with a single email to pollute the system.

This is a business logic / authentication vulnerability. Impacted users are anyone relying on phpMyFAQ’s account system where email is assumed to be unique.

Severity

High

CVSS overall score

This score calculates overall vulnerability severity from 0 to 10 and is based on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS).
/ 10

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
None
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
None

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector: More severe the more the remote (logically and physically) an attacker can be in order to exploit the vulnerability.
Attack complexity: More severe for the least complex attacks.
Privileges required: More severe if no privileges are required.
User interaction: More severe when no user interaction is required.
Scope: More severe when a scope change occurs, e.g. one vulnerable component impacts resources in components beyond its security scope.
Confidentiality: More severe when loss of data confidentiality is highest, measuring the level of data access available to an unauthorized user.
Integrity: More severe when loss of data integrity is the highest, measuring the consequence of data modification possible by an unauthorized user.
Availability: More severe when the loss of impacted component availability is highest.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N

CVE ID

CVE-2025-59943

Weaknesses

No CWEs

Credits