CVE-2005-4163: Directory traversal vulnerability in captcha.php in Captcha PHP 0.9 allows remote attackers to read arbitrary

This month

MEDIUM 5.0DOWNGRADE

CVE-2005-4163 is a medium-severity flaw (CVSS 5.0) affecting captcha php. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

Directory traversal vulnerability in captcha.php in Captcha PHP 0.9 allows remote attackers to read arbitrary files via the _tcf parameter.

Why this priority

Public exploit reference

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

Risk facts

CVSS score	5.0 (Medium)
EPSS exploit chance	1.5% (top 25%)
CISA exploited list	No
Published	2005-12-11
Last modified	2026-06-16

Publisher (CNA): MITRE · Vendor: milky

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

Am I affected?

Timeline

2005-12-11 11:03 UTCPublished CVE record published
2026-06-16 22:18 UTCUpdated Record last modified

milky captcha php DOWNGRADE

Affected: 0.9

Fixed in: no fixed release known

Safe to downgrade to: a release before 0.9

1. Check installed version

apt-cache policy captcha-php || rpm -q captcha-php || captcha-php --version

2. No fixed release: DOWNGRADE to a release before 0.9 (Debian / Ubuntu)

apt-cache madison captcha-php sudo apt install captcha-php=<VERSION_BEFORE_0.9> sudo apt-mark hold captcha-php

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

dnf --showduplicates list captcha-php sudo dnf downgrade captcha-php-<VERSION_BEFORE_0.9> sudo dnf versionlock add captcha-php

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-2005-4163?

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

Is CVE-2005-4163 being exploited?

CVE-2005-4163 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-2005-4163 affect?

CVE-2005-4163 affects captcha php. Severity is medium (CVSS 5.0). Directory traversal vulnerability in captcha.php in Captcha PHP 0.9 allows remote attackers to read arbitrary files via the _tcf parameter.

How urgent is CVE-2005-4163?

Priority 41/100. Public exploit reference

Software pages

PHP vulnerabilities

References

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