CVE-2021-43698: phpWhois (last update Jun 30 2021) is affected by a Cross Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability

Routine

MEDIUM 6.1MITIGATE

CVE-2021-43698 is a medium-severity flaw (CVSS 6.1) affecting phpwhois. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

phpWhois (last update Jun 30 2021) is affected by a Cross Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability. In file example.php, the exit function will terminate the script and print the message to the user. The message will contain $_GET['query'] then there is a XSS vulnerability.

Why this priority

Public exploit reference

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

Risk facts

CVSS score	6.1 (Medium)
Attack vector	Network (remote)
Attack complexity	Low
Privileges needed	None
User interaction	Required
EPSS exploit chance	0.6% (top 50%)
CISA exploited list	No
Weakness	CWE-79
Published	2021-11-29
Last modified	2026-06-17

Publisher (CNA): MITRE · Vendor: phpwhois project

Last updated 2026-06-17 · Sources: CVE Program, NVD, CISA KEV, EPSS and vendor advisories · How we score

Am I affected?

Timeline

2021-11-29 12:15 UTCPublished CVE record published
2026-06-17 04:11 UTCUpdated Record last modified

phpwhois project phpwhois MITIGATE

Affected: all versions

Fixed in: no fixed release known

Safe to downgrade to: no unaffected older release

1. Check installed version

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

No fixed or unaffected release known

Apply the vendor mitigation from the advisory, disable the affected feature, or restrict network access.

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-2021-43698?

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

Is CVE-2021-43698 being exploited?

CVE-2021-43698 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-2021-43698 affect?

CVE-2021-43698 affects phpwhois. Severity is medium (CVSS 6.1). phpWhois (last update Jun 30 2021) is affected by a Cross Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability. In file example.php, the exit function will terminate the script and print the message to the user. The message will contain $_GET['query'] then t

How urgent is CVE-2021-43698?

Priority 39/100. Public exploit reference

Software pages

PHP vulnerabilities

References

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