# CVE-2026-49205: phpMyFAQ: Missing userHasPermission() in 4 API write endpoints (CVE-2026-24421 Incomplete Fix)

> Attackers with valid API tokens can create or modify categories, FAQs, and questions without proper user permission checks.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/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:** 18 Jun 2026
- **Updated:** 22 Jun 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-8c6h-7g6x-m5x4

## What is CVE-2026-49205?

CVE-2026-49205 is a medium-severity missing authorization vulnerability in thorsten phpMyFAQ, published on 18 Jun 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

phpMyFAQ is an open source FAQ web application. Versions prior to  4.1.4 have Missing Authorization in the API CategoryController. CVE-2026-24421 addressed this in the BackupController by adding: $this->userHasPermission(PermissionType::BACKUP). The same fix was not applied to 4 other write endpoints in the public API. All 4 only call $this->hasValidToken() — which checks a shared API key header, rather than the individual user's role permissions. The following APIs are affected: POST /api/v4.0/category (CategoryController::create), POST /api/v4.0/faq (FaqController::create), PUT /api/v4.0/faq (FaqController::update), and POST /api/v4.0/question (QuestionController::create). This issue has been fixed in version 4.1.4.

Weakness: CWE-862 (Missing Authorization)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-49205?

4 open source packages ship an affected version, including thorsten/phpmyfaq and phpmyfaq/phpmyfaq.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `thorsten/phpmyfaq` | Packagist | All versions | 4.1.4 |
| `thorsten/phpmyfaq` | Packagist | All versions | 4.1.4 |
| `phpmyfaq/phpmyfaq` | Packagist | All versions | 4.1.4 |
| `phpmyfaq/phpmyfaq` | Packagist | All versions | 4.1.4 |

## How do I fix CVE-2026-49205?

Upgrade thorsten/phpmyfaq to 4.1.4 or later.

## Is CVE-2026-49205 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-49205 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-49205 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-49205 is a medium-severity missing authorization vulnerability in thorsten phpMyFAQ, published on 18 Jun 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-49205 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- thorsten/phpmyfaq (Packagist): affected all versions; fixed in 4.1.4
- thorsten/phpmyfaq (Packagist): affected all versions; fixed in 4.1.4
- phpmyfaq/phpmyfaq (Packagist): affected all versions; fixed in 4.1.4
- phpmyfaq/phpmyfaq (Packagist): affected all versions; fixed in 4.1.4

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-2026-49205/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-49205/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-49205
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-49205
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-49205

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-49205/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.