CVE-2002-2176: SQL injection vulnerability in Gender MOD 1.1.3 allows remote attackers to gain administrative access via the

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HIGH 10.0DOWNGRADE

CVE-2002-2176 is a high-severity flaw (CVSS 10.0) affecting phpbb. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

SQL injection vulnerability in Gender MOD 1.1.3 allows remote attackers to gain administrative access via the user_level parameter in the User Profile page.

Why this priority

Critical severity
Public exploit reference

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

Risk facts

CVSS score	10.0 (High)
EPSS exploit chance	3.3% (top 11%)
CISA exploited list	No
Published	2002-12-31
Last modified	2026-06-16

Publisher (CNA): MITRE · Vendor: phpbb group

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

Am I affected?

Timeline

2002-12-31 05:00 UTCPublished CVE record published
2026-06-16 22:00 UTCUpdated Record last modified

phpbb group phpbb DOWNGRADE

Affected: 2.0.0 · 2.0.1

Fixed in: no fixed release known

Safe to downgrade to: a release before 2.0.0

1. Check installed version

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

2. No fixed release: DOWNGRADE to a release before 2.0.0 (Debian / Ubuntu)

apt-cache madison phpbb sudo apt install phpbb=<VERSION_BEFORE_2.0.0> sudo apt-mark hold phpbb

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

dnf --showduplicates list phpbb sudo dnf downgrade phpbb-<VERSION_BEFORE_2.0.0> sudo dnf versionlock add phpbb

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: phpBB2 Gender Mod 1.1.3 - SQL 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-2002-2176?

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

Is CVE-2002-2176 being exploited?

CVE-2002-2176 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-2002-2176 affect?

CVE-2002-2176 affects phpbb. Severity is high (CVSS 10.0). SQL injection vulnerability in Gender MOD 1.1.3 allows remote attackers to gain administrative access via the user_level parameter in the User Profile page.

How urgent is CVE-2002-2176?

Priority 62/100. Critical severity; Public exploit reference

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References

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