# CVE-2026-85593: phpMyFAQ before 4.1.8 Stored XSS via html_entity_decode

> Authenticated users can inject JavaScript into FAQs via html_entity_decode, leading to XSS execution in other users' browsers.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.1 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:P/VC:L/VI:L/VA:N/SC:L/SI:L/SA:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 4 Sep 2026
- **Updated:** 14 Sep 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-2xm9-x25x-7x5q, GHSA-x6qj-5jhf-xgpm

## What is CVE-2026-85593?

CVE-2026-85593 is a medium-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in thorsten phpMyFAQ, published on 4 Sep 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

phpMyFAQ versions before 4.1.8 contain a stored cross-site scripting vulnerability in FaqHelper::convertOldInternalLinks() that calls html_entity_decode() on sanitized FAQ content, reversing entity-encoding protection. Authenticated users with FAQ editing privileges can inject JavaScript payloads that execute in the browsers of all users viewing the affected FAQ pages.

Weakness: CWE-79 (Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-85593?


## How do I fix CVE-2026-85593?

No fix has been published for CVE-2026-85593 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2026-85593 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-85593 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-85593 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-85593 is a medium-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in thorsten phpMyFAQ, published on 4 Sep 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-85593 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: thorsten phpMyFAQ. 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-2026-85593/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-85593/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-85593
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-85593
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-85593

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-85593/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.