CVE-2018-10362
CVE-2018-10362 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Phpliteadmin with a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-287.
Key facts
- Severity: Critical (CVSS 3.x base score 9.8)
- CVSS v2: 5.0
- EPSS exploit prediction: 2% (72nd percentile)
- Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
- Weakness: CWE-287
- Affected product: Phpliteadmin
- Published:
- Last modified:
Description
An issue was discovered in phpLiteAdmin 1.9.5 through 1.9.7.1. Due to loose comparison with '==' instead of '===' in classes/Authorization.php for the user-provided login password, it is possible to login with a simpler password if the password has the form of a power in scientific notation (like '2e2' for '200' or '0e1234' for '0'). This is possible because, in the loose comparison case, PHP interprets the string as a number in scientific notation, and thus converts it to a number. After that, the comparison with '==' casts the user input (e.g., the string '200' or '0') to a number, too. Hence the attacker can login with just a '0' or a simple number he has to brute force. Strong comparison with '===' prevents the cast into numbers.
Frequently asked questions
- What is CVE-2018-10362?
- An issue was discovered in phpLiteAdmin 1.9.5 through 1.9.7.1. Due to loose comparison with '==' instead of '===' in classes/Authorization.php for the user-provided login password, it is possible to login with a simpler password if the password has the form of a power in scientific notation (like '2e2' for '200' or '0e1234' for '0'). This is possible because, in the loose comparison case, PHP interprets the string as a number in scientific notation, and thus converts it to a number. After that, the comparison with '==' casts the user input (e.g., the string '200' or '0') to a number, too. Hence the attacker can login with just a '0' or a simple number he has to brute force. Strong comparison with '===' prevents the cast into numbers.
- How severe is CVE-2018-10362?
- CVE-2018-10362 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
- Is CVE-2018-10362 being actively exploited?
- It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (72nd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
- What products are affected by CVE-2018-10362?
- CVE-2018-10362 affects Phpliteadmin. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
- How do I fix CVE-2018-10362?
- Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
- When was CVE-2018-10362 published?
- CVE-2018-10362 was published on 2018-04-25 and last updated on 2026-06-17.
References
- http://k3research.outerhaven.de/posts/small-mistakes-lead-to-big-problems.html
- https://github.com/phpLiteAdmin/pla/issues/11
Affected products (1)
- cpe:2.3:a:phpliteadmin:phpliteadmin:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
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