Cyber Resilience

CVE-2026-25923

RCE in Mylittleforum My Little Forum ≤ 20260208.1

Published
09 February 2026
Modified
17 March 2026
Patch / advisory
CVSS Score v4 8.7
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X
EPSS Score 0.0043 36th percentile
Risk Priority 44 floored blend · peak EPSS

Summary

CVE-2026-25923 is a high-severity Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type (CWE-434) vulnerability in Mylittleforum My Little Forum. Its CVSS base score is 8.7 (High).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Exploit Public-Facing Application (T1190); ranked at the 36th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog; a public proof-of-concept is referenced.

The strongest mitigations our analysis identified map to SA-11 (Developer Testing and Evaluation) and SI-10 (Information Input Validation) — see the control section below for these in your framework.

Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary

Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.

CVE-2026-25923 is a high-severity vulnerability in My Little Forum, a PHP and MySQL-based internet forum software that uses a classical threaded view for messages. In versions prior to 20260208.1, the application fails to filter the phar:// protocol during URL validation. This flaw enables attackers to upload malicious Phar Polyglot files disguised as JPEG images via the image upload feature, leading to Phar deserialization when processed through BBCode [img] tag handling and exploitation of a Smarty 4.1.0 POP chain. The issue is linked to CWE-434 (Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type) and CWE-502 (Deserialization of Untrusted Data), with a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.1 (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H).

Remote attackers require no privileges or user interaction to exploit this vulnerability over the network with low complexity. By uploading the disguised Phar file and subsequently referencing it in a BBCode [img] tag, attackers can trigger deserialization and execute the Smarty POP chain, resulting in arbitrary file deletion on the server. This grants significant impact to file integrity and availability without affecting confidentiality.

The vulnerability is addressed in My Little Forum version 20260208.1. Official mitigation guidance is available in the GitHub release notes at https://github.com/My-Little-Forum/mylittleforum/releases/tag/20260208.1 and the security advisory at https://github.com/My-Little-Forum/mylittleforum/security/advisories/GHSA-wr9p-3c3g-78fw, which detail the patch and recommend immediate upgrading.

OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

my little forum is a PHP and MySQL based internet forum that displays the messages in classical threaded view. Prior to 20260208.1, the application fails to filter the phar:// protocol in URL validation, allowing attackers to upload a malicious Phar…

more

Polyglot file (disguised as JPEG) via the image upload feature, trigger Phar deserialization through BBCode [img] tag processing, and exploit Smarty 4.1.0 POP chain to achieve arbitrary file deletion. This vulnerability is fixed in 20260208.1.

CWE(s)

Related Threats

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques

T1190 Exploit Public-Facing Application Initial Access
Adversaries may attempt to exploit a weakness in an Internet-facing host or system to initially access a network.
T1203 Exploitation for Client Execution Execution
Adversaries may exploit software vulnerabilities in client applications to execute code.
T1505 Server Software Component Persistence
Adversaries may abuse legitimate extensible development features of servers to establish persistent access to systems.
T1505.003 Web Shell Persistence
Adversaries may backdoor web servers with web shells to establish persistent access to systems.
T1059 Command and Scripting Interpreter Execution
Adversaries may abuse command and script interpreters to execute commands, scripts, or binaries.
T1105 Ingress Tool Transfer Command And Control
Adversaries may transfer tools or other files from an external system into a compromised environment.
Derived from this CVE’s CWE(s) via the direct CWE→ATT&CK cross-walk.

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2021-42125Shared CWE-434, CWE-502
CVE-2021-21344Shared CWE-434, CWE-502
CVE-2024-23759Shared CWE-434, CWE-502
CVE-2021-21346Shared CWE-434, CWE-502
CVE-2026-24815Shared CWE-434, CWE-502
CVE-2021-21351Shared CWE-434, CWE-502
CVE-2026-2113Shared CWE-434, CWE-502
CVE-2023-31946Shared CWE-434
CVE-2023-25922Shared CWE-434
CVE-2024-49216Shared CWE-434

Affected Assets

mylittleforum
my little forum
≤ 20260208.1

Mitigating Controls

Control response

Prevent
Stop it (NIST 800-53)

Detect
Catch it (NIST detect / respond)

Harden
Shrink the surface (DISA STIG)

Validate
Prove the fix (OWASP ASVS)
  • V5.1.1

Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI

Developer testing and evaluation can uncover deserialization flaws before deployment.

Input validation directly stops deserialization of untrusted data by ensuring inputs are valid before processing.

Malicious-code protection at entry points blocks dangerous file types from being accepted and executed.

Least functionality restricts the file types and automatic processing capabilities the system will accept.

Engineering principles such as safe deserialization and input sanitization structurally prevent the weakness from being introduced.

SC-18 Mobile Code partial match

Mobile-code controls define, authorize, and block unacceptable uploaded code before automatic processing occurs.

Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

PR.PS-05 mostly match
prevents

Restricting execution of unauthorized software directly blocks dangerous uploaded files from running.

PR.PS-01 partial match
prevents

Hardened configuration baselines can enforce allowed file types and processing rules.

PR.PS-06 partial match
prevents

Secure development practices include input validation and file-type restrictions that prevent this weakness.

PR.PS-02 none match
prevents

PR.PS-02 addresses only post-deployment updates/patching and cannot prevent introduction of unsafe deserialization code, yet it can remediate some instances when the flaw exists in outdated libraries or components.

Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

finds

Configuration and acceptance testing verify that file-upload handling enforces allowed types and does not permit dangerous content to be stored or executed.

prevents

Secure-coding guidelines and security testing explicitly address restrictions on allowed file types and upload handling, reducing the risk that dangerous file uploads are accepted without validation.

prevents

Requiring vetted libraries, regular updates and SAST before release reduces the likelihood that deserialization logic will accept and act on attacker-controlled serialized objects.

prevents

Mandated testing for malicious content and known vulnerabilities reduces the likelihood that an outsourced component will contain or accept dangerous file types that could later be uploaded or executed.

mitigates

Application allow-listing and pre-use scanning of received files directly blocks the introduction of executable content that has not been vetted, eliminating the primary vector for unrestricted dangerous file uploads.

finds

Regular scanning of third-party libraries and timely patching reduce the likelihood that unsafe deserialization vulnerabilities remain active.

References