CVE-2003-1373: Directory traversal vulnerability in auth.php for PhpBB 1.4.0 through 1.4.4 allows remote attackers to read an

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MEDIUM 6.8DOWNGRADE

CVE-2003-1373 is a medium-severity flaw (CVSS 6.8) affecting phpbb. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

Directory traversal vulnerability in auth.php for PhpBB 1.4.0 through 1.4.4 allows remote attackers to read and include arbitrary files via .. (dot dot) sequences followed by NULL (%00) characters in CGI parameters, as demonstrated using the lang parameter in prefs.php.

Why this priority

No elevated risk signals yet

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

Risk facts

CVSS score	6.8 (Medium)
EPSS exploit chance	1.3% (top 30%)
CISA exploited list	No
Weakness	CWE-22
Published	2003-12-31
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

2003-12-31 05:00 UTCPublished CVE record published
2026-06-16 22:04 UTCUpdated Record last modified

phpbb group phpbb DOWNGRADE

Affected: 1.4.0 · 1.4.1 · 1.4.2 · 1.4.4

Fixed in: no fixed release known

Safe to downgrade to: a release before 1.4.0

1. Check installed version

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

2. No fixed release: DOWNGRADE to a release before 1.4.0 (Debian / Ubuntu)

apt-cache madison phpbb sudo apt install phpbb=<VERSION_BEFORE_1.4.0> sudo apt-mark hold phpbb

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

dnf --showduplicates list phpbb sudo dnf downgrade phpbb-<VERSION_BEFORE_1.4.0> 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.

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-2003-1373?

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

Is CVE-2003-1373 being exploited?

CVE-2003-1373 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-2003-1373 affect?

CVE-2003-1373 affects phpbb. Severity is medium (CVSS 6.8). Directory traversal vulnerability in auth.php for PhpBB 1.4.0 through 1.4.4 allows remote attackers to read and include arbitrary files via .. (dot dot) sequences followed by NULL (%00) characters in CGI parameters, as demonstrated using th

How urgent is CVE-2003-1373?

Priority 41/100. No elevated risk signals yet.

Software pages

PHP vulnerabilities

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References

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