CVE-2008-2673: SQL injection vulnerability in index.php in Powie pNews 2.08 and 2.10, when magic_quotes_gpc is disabled, allo

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HIGH 7.5DOWNGRADE

CVE-2008-2673 is a high-severity flaw (CVSS 7.5) affecting pnews. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

SQL injection vulnerability in index.php in Powie pNews 2.08 and 2.10, when magic_quotes_gpc is disabled, allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands via the shownews parameter.

Why this priority

High severity
Public exploit reference

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

Risk facts

CVSS score	7.5 (High)
EPSS exploit chance	1.0% (top 37%)
CISA exploited list	No
Weakness	CWE-89
Published	2008-06-12
Last modified	2026-06-16

Publisher (CNA): MITRE · Vendor: powie

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

Am I affected?

Timeline

2008-06-12 12:21 UTCPublished CVE record published
2026-06-16 22:54 UTCUpdated Record last modified

powie pnews DOWNGRADE

Affected: 2.08 · 2.10

Fixed in: no fixed release known

Safe to downgrade to: a release before 2.08

1. Check installed version

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

2. No fixed release: DOWNGRADE to a release before 2.08 (Debian / Ubuntu)

apt-cache madison pnews sudo apt install pnews=<VERSION_BEFORE_2.08> sudo apt-mark hold pnews

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

dnf --showduplicates list pnews sudo dnf downgrade pnews-<VERSION_BEFORE_2.08> sudo dnf versionlock add pnews

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: pNews 2.08 - 'shownews' 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-2008-2673?

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

Is CVE-2008-2673 being exploited?

CVE-2008-2673 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-2008-2673 affect?

CVE-2008-2673 affects pnews. Severity is high (CVSS 7.5). SQL injection vulnerability in index.php in Powie pNews 2.08 and 2.10, when magic_quotes_gpc is disabled, allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands via the shownews parameter.

How urgent is CVE-2008-2673?

Priority 47/100. High severity; Public exploit reference

Software pages

PHP vulnerabilities

Related CVEs

CVE-2008-4347 HIGH 7.5 DOWNGRADE SQL injection vulnerability in newskom.php in Powie pNews 2.03 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary SQ
CVE-2006-5022 HIGH 7.5 DOWNGRADE PHP remote file inclusion vulnerability in includes/global.php in Joshua Wilson pNews System 1.1.0 (aka PowerN

References

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