University of Washington IMAP Toolkit 2007f on UNIX, as used in imap_open() in PHP and other products, launches an rsh command (by means of
Noroxi assessment
Priority: Plan (action score 59/100)
- A ready-made attack module is public (Metasploit, Nuclei); exploiting it takes no special expertise.
- Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 96.1% (FIRST EPSS); higher than 99.8% of all records.
- Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it. A low-privileged account is enough. No user action is required. Special conditions such as timing or configuration are required.
- Fixed version: uw-imap (Debian:12) 8:2007f~dfsg-6; php5 (Debian:8) 5.6.39+dfsg-0+deb8u1; uw-imap (Debian:8) 8:2007f~dfsg-4+deb8u1.
Add it to your regular patch cycle. Upgrade to uw-imap (Debian:12) 8:2007f~dfsg-6; php5 (Debian:8) 5.6.39+dfsg-0+deb8u1; uw-imap (Debian:8) 8:2007f~dfsg-4+deb8u1 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 · FIRST EPSS
University of Washington IMAP Toolkit 2007f on UNIX, as used in imap_open() in PHP and other products, launches an rsh command (by means of the imap_rimap function in c-client/imap4r1.c and the tcp_aopen function in osdep/unix/tcp_unix.c) without preventing argument injection, which might allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary OS commands if the IMAP server name is untrusted input (e.g., entered by a user of a web application) and if rsh has been replaced by a program with different argument semantics. For example, if rsh is a link to ssh (as seen on Debian and Ubuntu systems), then the attack can use an IMAP server name containing a "-oProxyCommand" argument.
- Published
- Nov 25, 2018
- Updated
- Jun 16, 2026
- EPSS
- 96.1% · 100th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-88
Report tools
Action score
59
Plan
Add it to your regular patch cycle.
- CVSS
- 30 / 40 · 7.5 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 29 / 30 · 96.1%
Get told when this record changes
- Not in KEV: no record of exploitation in the wild
- Weaponized exploit exists
- A fix has been released
If any of these changes, we'll tell you in the daily email digest.
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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.
We use this product, ask for helpAffected 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.
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| php | php | cpe:2.3:a:php:php |
| debian | debian linux | cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux |
| uw-imap project | uw-imap | cpe:2.3:a:uw-imap_project:uw-imap |
| canonical | ubuntu linux | cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux |
Using php? Add it to your stack and be the first to know about CVEs like this one. (PHP)
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- php php5.6.0 and later · up to 5.6.38 inclusive
- php php7.0.0 and later · up to 7.0.32 inclusive
- php php7.1.0 and later · up to 7.1.24 inclusive
- php php7.2.0 and later · up to 7.2.12 inclusive
Package-level exposure
OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian:12 | uw-imap | before 8:2007f~dfsg-6 | 8:2007f~dfsg-6 |
| Debian:8 | php5 | before 5.6.39+dfsg-0+deb8u1 | 5.6.39+dfsg-0+deb8u1 |
| Debian:8 | uw-imap | before 8:2007f~dfsg-4+deb8u1 | 8:2007f~dfsg-4+deb8u1 |
| Debian:9 | php7.0 | before 7.0.33-0+deb9u1 | 7.0.33-0+deb9u1 |
| Debian:9 | uw-imap | before 8:2007f~dfsg-5+deb9u1 | 8:2007f~dfsg-5+deb9u1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Web and Scripting 12 | php5 | before 5.5.14-109.45.2 | 5.5.14-109.45.2 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Web and Scripting 12 | php7 | before 7.0.7-50.56.2 | 7.0.7-50.56.2 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit 11 SP4 | php53 | before 5.3.17-112.45.1 | 5.3.17-112.45.1 |
Same product
php: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2024-4577Argument Injection in PHP-CGIKEV99Now
- CVE-2019-11043Underflow in PHP-FPM can lead to RCEKEV99Now
- CVE-2012-1823sapi/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 queKEV99Now
- CVE-2018-7584In PHP through 5.6.33, 7.0.x before 7.0.28, 7.1.x through 7.1.14, and 7.2.x through 7.2.2, there is a stack-based buffer under-read while pa65This week
- CVE-2016-3078Multiple integer overflows in php_zip.c in the zip extension in PHP before 7.0.6 allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service (heap-b56Plan
- CVE-2015-6834Multiple use-after-free vulnerabilities in PHP before 5.4.45, 5.5.x before 5.5.29, and 5.6.x before 5.6.13 allow remote attackers to execute53Plan
Remediation
Which version to upgrade to
Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.
| Product / package | Fixed version | Source |
|---|---|---|
| debian:php5 | 5.6.39+dfsg-0+deb8u1 · Debian:8 | Package registry (OSV) |
| debian:php7.0 | 7.0.33-0+deb9u1 · Debian:9 | Package registry (OSV) |
| debian:uw-imap | 8:2007f~dfsg-6 · Debian:12 | Package registry (OSV) |
| suse:php5 | 5.5.14-109.45.2 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Web and Scripting 12 | Package registry (OSV) |
| suse:php53 | 5.3.17-112.45.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit 11 SP4 | Package registry (OSV) |
| suse:php7 | 7.0.7-50.56.2 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Web and Scripting 12 | Package 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 ×2
- Nuclei detection template ×1
- Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub ×2
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.
| Source | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Exploit-DB entry | remote | 2018-11-29 |
| Exploit-DB entry | remote | 2018-11-29 |
| Metasploit module | exploit/linux/http/php_imap_open_rcephp imap_open Remote Code Executionexploit | 2018-10-23 |
| Nuclei detection template | Nuclei template CVE-2018-19518 | — |
| Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub | stars:0 | 2018-12-31 |
| Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub | stars:4 | 2023-04-15 |
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.
- Metasploit-33 d
- Published
- First PoC+4 d
- TodayOct 15, 2026+2881 d
FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).
Patch and commit links
Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.
No commit or PR link among the references.
Credits
All researchersFinders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.
No credits in the CNA record.
Variant candidates
Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.
No nightly-computed relations.
Chain candidates
An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.
—
Bug bounty scope
No known public program.
Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).
Technical details
Attack conditions
- Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it.
- A low-privileged account is enough.
- No user action is required.
- Special conditions such as timing or configuration are required.
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
- High
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality impact
- High
- Integrity impact
- High
- Availability impact
- High
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-88 · Improper Neutralization of Argument Delimiters in a Command ('Argument Injection')CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
nvd-primary
Attack context
MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.
Attack patterns (CAPEC)
- Parameter InjectionCAPEC-137likelihood: Medium · Medium
- Flash Parameter InjectionCAPEC-174likelihood: High · Medium
- Using Meta-characters in E-mail Headers to Inject Malicious PayloadsCAPEC-41likelihood: High · High
- HTTP Parameter Pollution (HPP)CAPEC-460Medium
- OS Command InjectionCAPEC-88likelihood: High · High
ATT&CK techniques
—
Change log
- Fix✗ → ✓
For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →
References
Show all references (13 more)Show less
- www.securitytracker.com/id/1042157
- bugs.debian.org/913775
- bugs.debian.org/913835
- bugs.debian.org/913836
- bugs.php.net/bug.php?id=77160
- git.php.net/?p=php-src.git%3Ba=commit%3Bh=e5bfea64c81ae34816479bb05d17cdffe45adddb
- lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2018/12/msg00006.html
- lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2019/03/msg00001.html
- lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2021/12/msg00031.html
- security.gentoo.org/glsa/202003-57
- security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20181221-0004/
- usn.ubuntu.com/4160-1/
- www.debian.org/security/2018/dsa-4353
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.