CVE-2005-4260: Interpretation conflict in includes/mainfile.php in PHP-Nuke 7.9 and later allows remote attackers to perform

Q: How urgent is CVE-2005-4260?

Priority 41/100. Public exploit reference

This month

MEDIUM 4.3DOWNGRADE

CVE-2005-4260 is a medium-severity flaw (CVSS 4.3) affecting php-nuke. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

Interpretation conflict in includes/mainfile.php in PHP-Nuke 7.9 and later allows remote attackers to perform cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks by replacing the ">" in the tag with a "<", which bypasses the regular expressions that sanitize the data, but is automatically corrected by many web browsers. NOTE: it could be argued that this vulnerability is due to a design limitation of many web browsers; if so, then this should not be treated as a

Why this priority

Public exploit reference

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

Risk facts

CVSS score	4.3 (Medium)
EPSS exploit chance	2.1% (top 18%)
CISA exploited list	No
Published	2005-12-15
Last modified	2026-06-16

Publisher (CNA): MITRE · Vendor: francisco burzi

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

Am I affected?

Timeline

2005-12-15 11:03 UTCPublished CVE record published
2026-06-16 22:18 UTCUpdated Record last modified

francisco burzi php-nuke DOWNGRADE

Affected: 7.0 · 7.1 · 7.2 · 7.3 · 7.6 · 7.7 · 7.8 · 7.9

Fixed in: no fixed release known

Safe to downgrade to: a release before 7.0

1. Check installed version

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

2. No fixed release: DOWNGRADE to a release before 7.0 (Debian / Ubuntu)

apt-cache madison php-nuke sudo apt install php-nuke=<VERSION_BEFORE_7.0> sudo apt-mark hold php-nuke

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

dnf --showduplicates list php-nuke sudo dnf downgrade php-nuke-<VERSION_BEFORE_7.0> sudo dnf versionlock add php-nuke

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: PHP-Nuke 7.x - Content Filtering Bypass

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-2005-4260?

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

Is CVE-2005-4260 being exploited?

CVE-2005-4260 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-2005-4260 affect?

CVE-2005-4260 affects php-nuke. Severity is medium (CVSS 4.3). Interpretation conflict in includes/mainfile.php in PHP-Nuke 7.9 and later allows remote attackers to perform cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks by replacing the ">" in the tag with a "<", which bypasses the regular expressions that sanitiz

How urgent is CVE-2005-4260?

Priority 41/100. Public exploit reference

Software pages

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References

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