# CVE-2023-53894: phpfm 1.7.9 Authentication Bypass via Type Juggling Vulnerability

> Attackers can bypass authentication via type juggling to upload malicious PHP files, leading to remote code execution on the server.

- **Severity:** Critical 9.3 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 16 Dec 2025
- **Updated:** 7 Apr 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-754q-9vhg-63g7

## What is CVE-2023-53894?

CVE-2023-53894 is a critical authentication bypass vulnerability in Dulldusk phpfm, published on 16 Dec 2025. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

phpfm 1.7.9 contains an authentication bypass vulnerability that allows attackers to log in by exploiting loose type comparison in password hash validation. Attackers can craft specific password hashes beginning with 0e or 00e to bypass authentication and upload malicious PHP files to the server.

Weakness: CWE-1390 (Weak Authentication)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-53894?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Dulldusk Phpfilemanager.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-53894?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-53894 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2023-53894 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-53894 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Dulldusk phpfm

- [CVE-2019-25632](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-25632/): phpFileManager 1.7.8 Local File Inclusion via index.php (medium 6.9)
- [CVE-2024-5673](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-5673/): Cross-Site Scripting in PHP File Manager by Dulldusk (medium 6.1)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-53894 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-53894 is a critical authentication bypass vulnerability in Dulldusk phpfm, published on 16 Dec 2025. 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-2023-53894 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Dulldusk phpfm. 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-2023-53894/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-53894/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-53894
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-53894
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-53894

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-53894/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.