CVE-2002-1481: savesettings.php in phpGB 1.20 and earlier does not require authentication, which allows remote attackers to c

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HIGH 7.5DOWNGRADE

CVE-2002-1481 is a high-severity flaw (CVSS 7.5) affecting phpgb. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

savesettings.php in phpGB 1.20 and earlier does not require authentication, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service or execute arbitrary PHP code by using savesettings.php to modify config.php.

Why this priority

High severity
EPSS top 6%: very likely to be exploited
Public exploit reference

No fix is published yet: follow the downgrade or mitigation steps.

Risk facts

CVSS score	7.5 (High)
EPSS exploit chance	7.2% (top 6%)
CISA exploited list	No
Published	2003-04-22
Last modified	2026-06-16

Publisher (CNA): MITRE · Vendor: phpgb

Last updated 2026-06-16 · Sources: CVE Program, NVD, CISA KEV, EPSS and vendor advisories · How we score

Am I affected?

Timeline

2003-04-22 04:00 UTCPublished CVE record published
2026-06-16 21:59 UTCUpdated Record last modified

phpgb phpgb DOWNGRADE

Affected: 1.10 · 1.20

Fixed in: no fixed release known

Safe to downgrade to: a release before 1.10

1. Check installed version

apt-cache policy phpgb || rpm -q phpgb || phpgb --version

2. No fixed release: DOWNGRADE to a release before 1.10 (Debian / Ubuntu)

apt-cache madison phpgb sudo apt install phpgb=<VERSION_BEFORE_1.10> sudo apt-mark hold phpgb

2. No fixed release: DOWNGRADE (RHEL / Amazon Linux / Fedora)

dnf --showduplicates list phpgb sudo dnf downgrade phpgb-<VERSION_BEFORE_1.10> sudo dnf versionlock add phpgb

Downgrade risk

Downgrading can break dependent software and may reopen older bugs. Read the distro advisory first and test on a non-production host.

After downgrade

Restart the service, and keep the package held until a fixed release ships.

Public exploits and detection

Public code exists for this CVE. Treat unpatched systems as at risk, and only run PoCs in a lab.

Exploit-DB: PHPGB 1.1/1.2 - PHP Code Injection

Verify at the official source NVD · CVE Program · Report a problem with this page
Scores and fixes here are computed automatically from those and other public sources. Confirm with the vendor advisory before changing production systems.

Quick answers

How do I fix CVE-2002-1481?

phpgb: downgrade or apply the listed mitigation. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Is CVE-2002-1481 being exploited?

CVE-2002-1481 is not on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list at the time of the last update. Check again, as this can change.

What does CVE-2002-1481 affect?

CVE-2002-1481 affects phpgb. Severity is high (CVSS 7.5). savesettings.php in phpGB 1.20 and earlier does not require authentication, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service or execute arbitrary PHP code by using savesettings.php to modify config.php.

How urgent is CVE-2002-1481?

Priority 55/100. High severity; EPSS top 6%: very likely to be exploited; Public exploit reference

Software pages

PHP vulnerabilities

Related CVEs

CVE-2002-1482 HIGH 10.0 DOWNGRADE SQL injection vulnerability in login.php for phpGB 1.20 and earlier, when magic_quotes_gpc is not enabled, all
CVE-2002-1480 MEDIUM 6.8 DOWNGRADE Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in phpGB before 1.20 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary HTML

References

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