---
id: "CVE-2026-111886"
kind: "vulnerability"
aliases: ["CVE-2026-111886"]
title: "phpMyFAQ: 2FA removal endpoint lacks brute-force lockout, allowing TOTP guessing"
severity: "high"
cvss: 7.1
epss: null
exploited: false
status: "open"
category: "package"
products: []
ecosystems: []
tags: ["package", "php", "phpmyfaq", "self-hosted"]
not_affected_if: ["default-config"]
published_at: "2026-10-17T19:16:29+00:00"
first_seen_at: "2026-10-23T21:57:14+00:00"
updated_at: "2026-10-25T03:36:23+00:00"
sources: [{"source": "nvd", "url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-111886", "first_seen_at": "2026-10-23T21:57:14+00:00"}]
---

# phpMyFAQ: 2FA removal endpoint lacks brute-force lockout, allowing TOTP guessing

phpMyFAQ from 4.2.0-alpha.2 before 4.2.0-beta does not limit failed attempts on its two-factor removal endpoint. An attacker with a hijacked session and CSRF token can guess TOTP codes without limit and permanently disable the victim's 2FA.

_Summary, check and fix written by a model from the sources; labelled as such._

## How to check

- Check the installed phpMyFAQ version, for example by reading the version in the admin panel or `composer show phpmyfaq/phpmyfaq` if installed via Composer.
- Confirm whether the instance is running a version from `4.2.0-alpha.2` up to but not including `4.2.0-beta`.

## Fix

- Upgrade phpMyFAQ to `4.2.0-beta` or later.
- Until upgraded, rotate session secrets and review accounts that show 2FA removed unexpectedly.

## Timeline

- 2026-10-23T21:57:14+00:00 nvd https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-111886

## From the sources

phpMyFAQ from 4.2.0-alpha.2 before 4.2.0-beta lacks brute-force lockout in the removeTwofactorConfig() 2FA removal endpoint, allowing authenticated attackers to guess TOTP codes without limit. Attackers holding a hijacked session and CSRF token can repeatedly POST guesses to /api/user/remove-twofactor to permanently disable the victim's 2FA.

---

_Free to read at a human pace. An API with keys and an MCP server are in preparation; early access: hello@infrastack.ai_