#VU12900 Use-after-free error in PHP - CVE-2016-7479

Vulnerability identifier: #VU12900

Vulnerability risk: High

CVSSv4.0: 8.9 [CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:P/U:Amber]

CVE-ID: CVE-2016-7479

CWE-ID: CWE-416

Exploitation vector: Network

Exploit availability: Yes

Vulnerable software:
PHP
Universal components / Libraries / Scripting languages

Vendor: PHP Group

Description

The vulnerability allows a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code on the target system.

The weakness exists due to resizing the 'properties' hash table of a serialized object during the unserialization process. A remote attacker can trigger use-after-free error and execute arbitrary code.

Successful exploitation of the vulnerability may result in system compromise.

Mitigation
Install update from vendor's website.

Vulnerable software versions

PHP: 7.0.0 - 7.0.30, 7.1.0 - 7.1.17, 7.2.0 - 7.2.5

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External links
https://bugs.php.net/bug.php?id=73092

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Q & A

Can this vulnerability be exploited remotely?

Yes. This vulnerability can be exploited by a remote non-authenticated attacker via the Internet.

Is there known malware, which exploits this vulnerability?

No. We are not aware of malware exploiting this vulnerability. However, proof of concept for this vulnerability is available.