Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessObtain valid but expired reset token
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DeliveryCraft direct POST to reset endpoint
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ExploitBypass expiry check in SavePasswordController
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ExecutionSet attacker-chosen password
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ImpactAuthenticate as victim account
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A04:2025 - Cryptographic Failures
ASVS 5.0
V11 - Cryptography Key rotation and expiry
|
| Exploitation Conditions | Exploitation requires the attacker to possess a valid PasswordToken value for the target account that still exists in the database - typically a reset the victim (or attacker, for their own or another account) previously triggered - and to submit it to the SavePasswordController POST reset endpoint rather than the form. The limiting factor is precisely this token possession: the flaw removes only the time-based expiry check, so an attacker cannot forge tokens and must acquire a real one (via leakage, interception, or a reset they can trigger), which is why the CVSS carries AC:H. No authentication, privileges, or user interaction beyond obtaining the token are needed, and default configurations of pre-1.8.16 Flarum are affected. |
| Impact | This is a genuine high-priority issue for internet-facing Flarum forums, but not a spray-and-pray mass-exploitation candidate. The CVSS 4.0 vector (AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N, VC:H/VI:H/VA:H) scores 9.2 because a successful bypass yields full account takeover with no authentication or user interaction; the AC:H reflects the real precondition that the attacker must first obtain a valid token value that has not been consumed. No EPSS score, KEV listing, or POC was provided, so exploitation appears theoretical/targeted rather than widespread at this time - consistent with a bug that requires possessing a leaked or intercepted reset token per target. The most dangerous framing is admin/moderator account takeover, which could cascade to forum-wide compromise. Treat as high priority to patch, especially where reset tokens might be exposed (proxy logs, referrer leakage, shared inboxes), while noting that the absence of a public exploit and the need for a token temper the immediacy. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An attacker obtains a password reset token for a target account that has expired but was never consumed - for example a token exposed in proxy logs, a forwarded email, or a shared support mailbox. Instead of using the normal reset form, the attacker POSTs the token and a chosen new password directly to Flarum's reset processing endpoint, which accepts it despite being past the 24-hour window, and then logs in as the victim. No public POC was provided, but the attack requires only standard HTTP tooling once a token is in hand. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Aug 05, 2026
Account takeover in Flarum forum software before 1.8.16 lets remote unauthenticated attackers reuse expired password reset tokens by POSTing them directly to the reset endpoint, bypassing the 24-hour token lifetime that is only enforced when the reset form is rendered. Because SavePasswordController::handle() calls PasswordToken::findOrFail() with no expiry check, anyone holding a stale-but-still-existing token can set a new password and log in as that user. Reported by VulnCheck; no public exploit identified at time of analysis, and it is not listed in CISA KEV.
RemediationAI
Vendor-released patch: upgrade to Flarum 1.8.16 (https://github.com/flarum/framework/releases/tag/v1.8.16), which enforces the expiry check on token submission (PR #4545), invalidates active sessions when a password changes (PR #4546), and deletes stale password tokens when a new reset is requested (PR #4547). If you cannot upgrade immediately, reduce exposure by shortening or clearing outstanding password_tokens rows (e.g., purge tokens older than 24 hours from the database on a schedule) so no reusable expired token exists - the trade-off is that legitimately pending resets within the window may also be invalidated. Additionally, minimize token leakage by ensuring reset links are delivered over TLS, stripped from referrer headers, and not logged by reverse proxies. These are stopgaps; applying 1.8.16 is the definitive fix.
Affected VersionsENISA
Affected Packages
Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)
Affects your stack
Affects 1 package in euvd
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Technical ContextAI · show details
Flarum is a PHP-based open-source forum framework (cpe:2.3:a:flarum:flarum_framework). Its password reset flow issues a PasswordToken record and enforces a 24-hour validity window only in the GET path that renders the reset form. The vulnerable POST path, SavePasswordController::handle(), looks the token up via Eloquent's findOrFail() and proceeds to overwrite the account password without re-validating the token's created_at/expiry. This is the essence of CWE-324 (Use of a Key Past its Expiration Date): a security-relevant credential remains honored after it should have been rejected, because expiry enforcement lives in the presentation layer rather than the state-changing handler. The upstream fix (PR #4545) moves expiry enforcement into the submission handler; companion fixes invalidate active sessions on password change (PR #4546) and delete stale tokens when a new reset is requested (PR #4547).
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Severity by source
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:H/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
Remote unauthenticated account takeover (PR:N/UI:N) yields full C/I/A over the victim account, but AC:H because the attacker must first obtain a real unconsumed reset token.
Primary rating from Vendor (VulnCheck).
CVSS VectorVendor: VulnCheck
DescriptionCVE.org
Flarum before 1.8.16 contains a password reset token expiry bypass vulnerability that allows unauthenticated attackers to reuse expired password reset tokens by submitting them directly to the reset processing endpoint. The SavePasswordController::handle() method calls PasswordToken::findOrFail() without performing any expiry validation, allowing attackers to bypass the 24-hour token lifetime enforced only during form rendering and change any account's password to gain an authenticated session.
Executive ViewAI
Flarum forum software before version 1.8.16 contains a critical account takeover vulnerability (CVSS 9.2) allowing unauthenticated attackers to reset user passwords via token reuse; no public exploit identified at time of analysis. Organizations operating Flarum communities face immediate risk to user account security, data protection obligations, and platform integrity, with potential compromise extending to administrative accounts.
Apply vendor patch.
Threat Intelligence Overview
How this decision was reached
The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.
What every action level means
SSVC AssessmentENISA
Priority Score
Attack Technique
Authentication bypass attacks exploit flaws in the verification mechanisms that control access to systems and applications.
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EUVD-2026-53389
GHSA-3mr9-883x-4f3x
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
VulDB
Exploit-DB