# CVE-2013-7235: Auth bypass in n/a

> Remote attackers can impersonate arbitrary users in Simple Machines Forum by exploiting a flaw involving multiple space characters.

- **Severity:** High 7.5 (`AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 29 Apr 2014
- **Updated:** 6 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-6vrf-jjxx-xvmw

## What is CVE-2013-7235?

CVE-2013-7235 is a high-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in n/a, published on 29 Apr 2014. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Simple Machines Forum (SMF) before 1.1.19 and 2.x before 2.0.6 allows remote attackers to impersonate arbitrary users via multiple space characters characters.

Weakness: CWE-20 (Improper Input Validation)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2013-7235?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Simplemachines Simple Machines Forum.

## How do I fix CVE-2013-7235?

No fix has been published for CVE-2013-7235 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2013-7235 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2013-7235 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in n/a

- [CVE-2018-10305](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-10305/): Missing authorization in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2016-5726](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-5726/): Code injection in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2013-7466](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-7466/): Path traversal in n/a (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2016-5727](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-5727/): Code injection in n/a (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2013-7468](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-7468/): Code injection in n/a (high 8.1)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2013-7235 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2013-7235 is a high-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in n/a, published on 29 Apr 2014. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2013-7235 in the wild and no public exploit code.

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-2013-7235/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-7235/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2013-7235
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2013-7235
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2013-7235

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-7235/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.