# CVE-2001-1471: Code injection in n/a

> Authenticated users can execute arbitrary PHP code in phpBB by manipulating uninitialized variables via an invalid language value.

- **Severity:** High 8.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 21 Apr 2005
- **Updated:** 8 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-xxf9-rgcc-942c

## What is CVE-2001-1471?

CVE-2001-1471 is a high-severity code injection vulnerability in n/a, published on 21 Apr 2005. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

prefs.php in phpBB 1.4.0 and earlier allows remote authenticated users to execute arbitrary PHP code via an invalid language value, which prevents the variables (1) $l_statsblock in prefs.php or (2) $l_privnotify in auth.php from being properly initialized, which can be modified by the user and later used in an eval statement.

Weakness: CWE-665 (Improper Initialization)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2001-1471?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Phpbb Phpbb.

## How do I fix CVE-2001-1471?

No fix has been published for CVE-2001-1471 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2001-1471 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2001-1471 exists.

Public exploit code:

- phpBB 1.x - Page Header Arbitrary Command Execution (exploitdb)

## Other vulnerabilities in n/a

- [CVE-2008-3224](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2008-3224/): Other in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2008-1766](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2008-1766/): Multiple unspecified vulnerabilities in phpBB before 3.0.1 have unknown impact and attack vectors, related to "two minor security-related bu (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2025-70810](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-70810/): Cross-site request forgery in n/a (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2026-29199](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-29199/): phpBB has Password Reset Link Poisoning via Host Header injection (high 8.1)
- [CVE-2019-16108](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-16108/): phpBB arbitrary CSS injection (high 7.5)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2001-1471 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2001-1471 is a high-severity code injection vulnerability in n/a, published on 21 Apr 2005. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2001-1471 exists.

Affected product: n/a. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2001-1471/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2001-1471/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2001-1471
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2001-1471
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2001-1471

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2001-1471/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.