CVE-2016-10033: Remote Code Execution in PHPMailer
Summary
CVE-2016-10033: Remote code execution in PHPMailer. Affects phpmailer/phpmailer versions >= 5.0.0, < 5.2.18. Fixed in 5.2.18. How to fix ↓
Also tracked for
- php-phpmailer · Alpine:v3.2
The same CVE-2016-10033 is tracked separately for each ecosystem and vendor. Its fix information is the same; the package and affected versions differ.
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Background
PHPMailer is a popular open-source library used for sending emails via PHP. It provides a convenient and secure way to send emails from PHP applications. However, versions before 5.2.18 are vulnerable to remote code execution.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability, identified as CVE-2016-10033, exists in the mailSend function of the default isMail transport in PHPMailer. It allows remote attackers to pass extra parameters to the mail command, potentially leading to the execution of arbitrary code. This can be achieved by injecting a backslash double quote (\") in a crafted Sender property. The impact of this vulnerability is critical, as it enables attackers to execute arbitrary code on the affected system.
How To Fix
Minimum fixed version
5.2.18
This is the first release that contains the fix.
composer require phpmailer/phpmailer:5.2.18Tip — Not sure which version your app runs? Vulert can match this fix to it. Scan free →
Workaround
If updating PHPMailer is not immediately feasible, it is crucial to filter and validate user input before passing it to internal functions. This can help prevent the exploitation of this vulnerability. Implementing proper input validation and sanitization practices is a good security measure in general.
Conclusion
The remote code execution vulnerability in PHPMailer (CVE-2016-10033) poses a critical risk to systems using affected versions. It is crucial to update PHPMailer to version 5.2.18 or later to mitigate this vulnerability. Implementing proper input validation practices is also recommended. For further support on vulnerability remediation, contact DevNack.com.
See every vulnerability recorded for phpmailer/phpmailer →
FAQ
PHPMailer is an open-source library used for sending emails from PHP applications. It provides a convenient and secure way to handle email functionality.
The impact of CVE-2016-10033 is critical. It allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on the affected system, potentially leading to full compromise of the system.
To fix this vulnerability, update PHPMailer to version 5.2.18 or later. Follow the official upgrade instructions provided by the PHPMailer project.
If immediate update is not possible, ensure to filter and validate user input before passing it to internal functions. Implementing proper input validation practices can help mitigate the risk.
For more information, refer to the official CVE-2016-10033 entry on the NIST National Vulnerability Database (NVD) website.
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