CVE-2004-1796: PHP remote file inclusion vulnerability in HotNews 0.7.2 and earlier allows remote attackers to execute arbitr

This week

HIGH 7.5DOWNGRADE

CVE-2004-1796 is a high-severity flaw (CVSS 7.5) affecting hotnews. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

PHP remote file inclusion vulnerability in HotNews 0.7.2 and earlier allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary PHP code via the (1) config[header] parameter to hotnews-engine.inc.php3 or (2) config[incdir] parameter to hnmain.inc.php3.

Why this priority

High severity
EPSS top 5%: 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	9.3% (top 5%)
CISA exploited list	No
Published	2004-12-31
Last modified	2026-06-16

Publisher (CNA): MITRE · Vendor: hotnews

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

Am I affected?

Timeline

2004-12-31 05:00 UTCPublished CVE record published
2026-06-16 22:08 UTCUpdated Record last modified

hotnews hotnews DOWNGRADE

Affected: 0.5.3 · 0.6.0 · 0.6.0_pre · 0.6.1 · 0.7.0 · 0.7.1 · 0.7.2

Fixed in: no fixed release known

Safe to downgrade to: a release before 0.5.3

1. Check installed version

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

2. No fixed release: DOWNGRADE to a release before 0.5.3 (Debian / Ubuntu)

apt-cache madison hotnews sudo apt install hotnews=<VERSION_BEFORE_0.5.3> sudo apt-mark hold hotnews

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

dnf --showduplicates list hotnews sudo dnf downgrade hotnews-<VERSION_BEFORE_0.5.3> sudo dnf versionlock add hotnews

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: HotNews 0.7.2 - Remote File Inclusion
Exploit-DB: HotNews 0.x - 'config[incdir]' Remote File Inclusion
Exploit-DB: HotNews 0.x - 'hotnews-engine.inc.php3?config[header]' Remote File Inclusion

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-2004-1796?

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

Is CVE-2004-1796 being exploited?

CVE-2004-1796 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-2004-1796 affect?

CVE-2004-1796 affects hotnews. Severity is high (CVSS 7.5). PHP remote file inclusion vulnerability in HotNews 0.7.2 and earlier allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary PHP code via the (1) config[header] parameter to hotnews-engine.inc.php3 or (2) config[incdir] parameter to hnmain.inc.php3.

How urgent is CVE-2004-1796?

Priority 55/100. High severity; EPSS top 5%: very likely to be exploited; Public exploit reference

Software pages

PHP vulnerabilities

References

← Back to latest CVEs