CVE-2009-4018
The proc_open function in ext/standard/proc_open.c in PHP before 5.2.11 and 5.3.x before 5.3.1 does not enforce the (1) safe_mode_allowed_env_vars and (2) safe_mode_protected_env_vars directives, which allows context-dependent attackers to execute programs with an arbitrary environment via the env parameter, as demonstrated by a crafted value of the LD_LIBRARY_PATH environment variable.
Key facts
- CVSS score
- 7.5 (v2.0)
- Severity
- HIGH
- CVSS vector
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P- Weakness (CWE)
- CWE-264
- EPSS score
- 11.3% (96th percentile)
- In CISA KEV
- No
- In EU EUVD
- Yes (EUVD-2009-3989)
- Published
- November 29, 2009
- NVD last modified
- June 16, 2026
- Status
- Modified
EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD)
This vulnerability is also tracked by ENISA as EUVD-2009-3989 in the EU Vulnerability Database. Last updated in EUVD on August 7, 2024.
View on the EU Vulnerability DatabaseAffected products
- php / php
- php / php
- php / php
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and 60 more…
References
- http://bugs.php.net/bug.php?id=49026(Exploit, Patch)
- http://marc.info/?l=bugtraq&m=127680701405735&w=2
- http://marc.info/?l=oss-security&m=125886770008678&w=2(Patch)
- http://marc.info/?l=oss-security&m=125897935330618&w=2(Patch)
- http://secunia.com/advisories/40262
- http://secunia.com/advisories/41480
- http://secunia.com/advisories/41490
- http://svn.php.net/viewvc/?view=revision&revision=286360(Patch)
- http://svn.php.net/viewvc/php/php-src/branches/PHP_5_2/ext/standard/proc_open.c?r1=286360&r2=286359&pathrev=286360(Patch)
- http://svn.php.net/viewvc/php/php-src/branches/PHP_5_3/ext/standard/proc_open.c?r1=286360&r2=286359&pathrev=286360(Patch)
- http://www.itrc.hp.com/service/cki/docDisplay.do?docId=emr_na-c02512995
- http://www.mandriva.com/security/advisories?name=MDVSA-2009:303
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2009/11/23/15(Patch)
- http://www.php.net/ChangeLog-5.php
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/37138
- https://oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A7256
Last updated September 17, 2026 · Source: NVD, CISA KEV, FIRST.org EPSS
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