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CVE-2012-1823: sapi/cgi/cgi_main.c in PHP before 5.3.12 and 5.4.x before 5.4.2, when configured as a CGI script (aka php-cgi), does not properly handle…

CriticalCVSS 9.8 · v3.1KEVWeaponized Fix available

Noroxi assessment

Priority: Now (action score 99/100)

  • CISA has confirmed exploitation in the wild (Mar 25, 2022). Remediation deadline for US federal agencies: Apr 15, 2022.
  • A ready-made attack module is public (Metasploit, Nuclei); exploiting it takes no special expertise.
  • Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 99.9% (FIRST EPSS); higher than 99.9% of all records.
  • Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it. No account or password is required. No user action is required. No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
  • According to CISA the attack is automatable: targets can be found by mass scanning.
  • Fixed version: php5 (Debian:6.0) 5.3.3-7+squeeze9; php (Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client_workstation) 0:5.1.6-34.el5_8; php-bcmath (Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client_workstation) 0:5.1.6-34.el5_8.

Patch today or shut off access. Upgrade to php5 (Debian:6.0) 5.3.3-7+squeeze9; php (Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client_workstation) 0:5.1.6-34.el5_8; php-bcmath (Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client_workstation) 0:5.1.6-34.el5_8 or later.

Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it

Primary sources: NVD · CVE.org · CISA KEV · FIRST EPSS

sapi/cgi/cgi_main.c in PHP before 5.3.12 and 5.4.x before 5.4.2, when configured as a CGI script (aka php-cgi), does not properly handle query strings that lack an = (equals sign) character, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code by placing command-line options in the query string, related to lack of skipping a certain php_getopt for the 'd' case.

Published
May 11, 2012
Updated
Jun 16, 2026
EPSS
99.9% · 99th percentile

Report tools

JSON

Action score

99

Now

Patch today or shut off access.

CVSS
39 / 40 · 9.8 / 10
CISA KEV
30 / 30 · Listed
EPSS
30 / 30 · 99.9%

CISA SSVC decision

Exploitation
active
Automatable
yes
Technical impact
total

Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.

Actively exploited in the wild

CISA added this to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on Mar 25, 2022. That signals real attacks, not theory.

Remediation deadline for US federal agencies: Apr 15, 2022.

Get told when this record changes

  • In CISA KEV: exploitation in the wild confirmed
  • Weaponized exploit exists
  • A fix has been released

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Follow CVE-2012-1823

When you'll hear from us

  • when it enters CISA KEV
  • when exploit code appears or is weaponized
  • when the record is updated (including a fixed version)
  • when EPSS rises 20 points in a week

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Noroxi analysis

What does it mean in your environment?

The assessment above is generated automatically from the record's data; it doesn't know your environment. Our team verifies on your systems whether this vulnerability is actually exploitable and which mitigation is enough.

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Affected systems

Is your version affected?

Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.

VendorProduct
phpphp
fedoraprojectfedora
debiandebian linux
hphp-ux
opensuseopensuse
suselinux enterprise server
suselinux enterprise software development kit
applemac os x
redhatapplication stack
redhatgluster storage server for on-premise
redhatstorage
redhatstorage for public cloud

and 5 more

Using php? Add it to your stack and be the first to know about CVEs like this one. (PHP)

Watch new CVEs for php

When you'll hear from us

  • when a new CVE affecting this product is published
  • when a record in your stack enters KEV or is weaponized

One daily email digest (06:00 UTC); connect a webhook for KEV listings and weaponized exploits every 10 minutes on paid plans, on the hour on the free plan.

Your free account also gets you

  • CVE alerts: add the products and versions you run, get the new CVEs that affect them
  • Uptime monitoring: 1 site, instant email when it goes down
  • Add your domain: subdomains and takeover risk scanned every week (1 domain)
  • 10 scans an hour on the security tools, at most 30 a day (3 a day without an account), an API key and MCP
  • All your scans in one panel: findings, what changed in the last scan, a report per domain or per client (PDF, share link)
All free tools

Sign up with email · Have an account? Sign in

Free account, no card. Unfollow any time.

Don't want an account? Get "Exploited this week" by email every Monday

Affected versions

NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.

  • php phpbefore 5.3.12
  • php php5.4.0 and later · before 5.4.2

Package-level exposure

OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.

EcosystemPackageAffected rangeFix
Debian:6.0php5before 5.3.3-7+squeeze95.3.3-7+squeeze9
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client_workstationphpbefore 0:5.1.6-34.el5_80:5.1.6-34.el5_8
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client_workstationphp-bcmathbefore 0:5.1.6-34.el5_80:5.1.6-34.el5_8
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client_workstationphp-clibefore 0:5.1.6-34.el5_80:5.1.6-34.el5_8
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client_workstationphp-commonbefore 0:5.1.6-34.el5_80:5.1.6-34.el5_8
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client_workstationphp-dbabefore 0:5.1.6-34.el5_80:5.1.6-34.el5_8
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client_workstationphp-debuginfobefore 0:5.1.6-34.el5_80:5.1.6-34.el5_8
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client_workstationphp-develbefore 0:5.1.6-34.el5_80:5.1.6-34.el5_8
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client_workstationphp-gdbefore 0:5.1.6-34.el5_80:5.1.6-34.el5_8
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client_workstationphp-imapbefore 0:5.1.6-34.el5_80:5.1.6-34.el5_8
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client_workstationphp-ldapbefore 0:5.1.6-34.el5_80:5.1.6-34.el5_8
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client_workstationphp-mbstringbefore 0:5.1.6-34.el5_80:5.1.6-34.el5_8
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client_workstationphp-mysqlbefore 0:5.1.6-34.el5_80:5.1.6-34.el5_8
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client_workstationphp-ncursesbefore 0:5.1.6-34.el5_80:5.1.6-34.el5_8
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client_workstationphp-odbcbefore 0:5.1.6-34.el5_80:5.1.6-34.el5_8
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client_workstationphp-pdobefore 0:5.1.6-34.el5_80:5.1.6-34.el5_8
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client_workstationphp-pgsqlbefore 0:5.1.6-34.el5_80:5.1.6-34.el5_8
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client_workstationphp-snmpbefore 0:5.1.6-34.el5_80:5.1.6-34.el5_8
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client_workstationphp-soapbefore 0:5.1.6-34.el5_80:5.1.6-34.el5_8
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client_workstationphp-xmlbefore 0:5.1.6-34.el5_80:5.1.6-34.el5_8
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client_workstationphp-xmlrpcbefore 0:5.1.6-34.el5_80:5.1.6-34.el5_8
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client_workstationphp53before 0:5.3.3-7.el5_80:5.3.3-7.el5_8
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client_workstationphp53-bcmathbefore 0:5.3.3-7.el5_80:5.3.3-7.el5_8
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client_workstationphp53-clibefore 0:5.3.3-7.el5_80:5.3.3-7.el5_8

+96

Same product

php: all records

Other highest-scoring records for the same primary product.

Published before and after this one in the same product

  • ← EarlierCVE-2012-0788Feb 14, 2012 · The PDORow implementation in PHP before 5.3.9 does not properly interact with the session feature, which allows remote attackers to cause a…
    23Monitor
  • ← EarlierCVE-2012-0789Feb 14, 2012 · Memory leak in the timezone functionality in PHP before 5.3.9 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (memory consumption) by…
    22Monitor
  • Later →CVE-2012-2311May 11, 2012 · sapi/cgi/cgi_main.c in PHP before 5.3.13 and 5.4.x before 5.4.3, when configured as a CGI script (aka php-cgi), does not properly handle…
    51Plan

Remediation

Which version to upgrade to

Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.

Product / packageFixed versionSource
debian:php55.3.3-7+squeeze9 · Debian:6.0Package registry (OSV)
red hat:php0:5.1.6-34.el5_8 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client_workstationPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:php-bcmath0:5.1.6-34.el5_8 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client_workstationPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:php-cli0:5.1.6-34.el5_8 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client_workstationPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:php-common0:5.1.6-34.el5_8 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client_workstationPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:php-dba0:5.1.6-34.el5_8 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client_workstationPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:php-debuginfo0:5.1.6-34.el5_8 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client_workstationPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:php-devel0:5.1.6-34.el5_8 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client_workstationPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:php-gd0:5.1.6-34.el5_8 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client_workstationPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:php-imap0:5.1.6-34.el5_8 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client_workstationPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:php-ldap0:5.1.6-34.el5_8 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client_workstationPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:php-mbstring0:5.1.6-34.el5_8 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client_workstationPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:php-mysql0:5.1.6-34.el5_8 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client_workstationPackage registry (OSV)

Exploit status

Weaponized

A ready exploit tool or active in-the-wild use is known for this vulnerability. This should be your top priority.

Evidence

  • Metasploit module ×1
  • Exploit-DB entry ×4
  • Nuclei detection template ×1
  • Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub ×16

Noroxi does not host or link to exploit code. Metasploit module names and Nuclei template ids are shown (names, not code); Exploit-DB entries and PoC repositories are given as counts only.

Public exploit evidence
SourceKindDate
Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub16 repositories2015-09-08 → 2026-10-08
Exploit-DB entryremote2013-10-29
Exploit-DB entryremote2013-10-31
Exploit-DB entryremote2012-05-04
Exploit-DB entryremote2012-05-05
Metasploit moduleexploit/multi/http/php_cgi_arg_injectionPHP CGI Argument Injectionexploit2012-05-03
Nuclei detection templateNuclei template CVE-2012-1823 —

Research context

For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.

Timeline

From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.

  1. Metasploit-8 d
  2. First PoC-7 d
  3. Published
  4. CISA KEV+3605 d
  5. TodayNov 15, 2026+5301 d

Not on record for this CVE: EPSS history · patch commit or PR link · researcher credit · variant or chain candidate · public bounty program.

Technical details

Attack conditions

  • Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it.
  • No account or password is required.
  • No user action is required.
  • No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.

If successful

Confidentiality
high · data can be read
Integrity
high · data or configuration can be modified
Availability
high · the service can be disrupted
Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality impact
High
Integrity impact
High
Availability impact
High

Weakness class (CWE)

CWE-77 · Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in a Command ('Command Injection')

CVSS vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

nvd-secondary

Attack context

MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.

ATT&CK techniques

—

References

Show all references (19 more)

Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.

All records