# CVE-2005-3537: Missing authorization in n/a

> Remote attackers with low privileges can modify other users' private messages due to missing request validation in phpBB.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.0 (`AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:P/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 22 Dec 2005
- **Updated:** 17 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-jhwq-8hmr-8f6m

## What is CVE-2005-3537?

CVE-2005-3537 is a medium-severity missing authorization vulnerability in Phpbb Group Phpbb, published on 22 Dec 2005. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

A "missing request validation" error in phpBB 2 before 2.0.18 allows remote attackers to edit private messages of other users, probably by modifying certain parameters or other inputs.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2005-3537?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Phpbb Group Phpbb.

## How do I fix CVE-2005-3537?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2005-3537 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2005-3537 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Phpbb Group Phpbb

- [CVE-2007-1695](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2007-1695/): File upload in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2006-6839](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2006-6839/): Open redirect in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2006-6840](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2006-6840/): Other in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2006-6841](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2006-6841/): Cross-site request forgery in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2002-2176](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2002-2176/): SQL injection in n/a (critical 10.0)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2005-3537 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2005-3537 is a medium-severity missing authorization vulnerability in Phpbb Group Phpbb, published on 22 Dec 2005. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2005-3537 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Phpbb Group Phpbb. 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-2005-3537/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2005-3537/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2005-3537
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2005-3537
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2005-3537

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2005-3537/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.