CVE-2017-9841 PHPUnit PHPUnit: command or code injection
In plain words: The program treats text it receives as instructions instead of plain data. The attacker can run commands on the machine — often the whole device is taken over.
Confirmed exploited by CISA on · US federal patch deadline Aug 15, 2022
What to do
- Install PHPUnit's security update for PHPUnit. If no update exists, follow the vendor's workaround or stop using the product until one ships.
- Keep a list of every internet-facing server you run so nothing is forgotten.
- Patch anything in this catalog first, ahead of normal patch cycles.
- Put admin and file-transfer apps behind a VPN or single sign-on instead of the open internet.
Who is affected
Work IT. Aimed mostly at company systems — you are affected through the companies you use, not your own phone.
What's at risk: Mass data theft and ransomware: a single flaw in a file-transfer or email server has exposed thousands of organisations at once.
The details
- Official name
- PHPUnit Command Injection Vulnerability
- Product
- PHPUnit PHPUnit
- CISA description
- PHPUnit allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary PHP code via HTTP POST data beginning with a "<?php " substring, as demonstrated by an attack on a site with an exposed /vendor folder, i.e., external access to the /vendor/phpunit/phpunit/src/Util/PHP/eval-stdin.php URI.
- Type of flaw
- Command or code injection (CWE-94)
- Confirmed exploited
- Feb 15, 2022
- US federal patch deadline
- Aug 15, 2022
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Answering about CVE-2017-9841 ·
Questions about CVE-2017-9841
Is CVE-2017-9841 being exploited?
Yes. CISA added CVE-2017-9841 to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on Feb 15, 2022, which means there is reliable evidence of real-world attacks.
How do I fix CVE-2017-9841?
Install PHPUnit's security update for PHPUnit. If no update exists, follow the vendor's workaround or stop using the product until one ships. Keep a list of every internet-facing server you run so nothing is forgotten.
Am I affected by CVE-2017-9841?
Only if you use PHPUnit PHPUnit. Aimed mostly at company systems — you are affected through the companies you use, not your own phone.