CVE-2012-1823

Publication date 3 May 2012

Last updated 25 August 2025

Ubuntu priority

Cvss 3 Severity Score

Description

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.

From the Ubuntu Security Team

It was discovered that PHP, when used as a stand alone CGI processor for the Apache Web Server, did not properly parse and filter query strings. This could allow a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code running with the privilege of the web server. Configurations using mod_php5 and FastCGI were not vulnerable.

Read the notes from the security team

Status

Show unmaintained releases

Package	Ubuntu Release	Status
php5	12.04 LTS precise	Fixed 5.3.10-1ubuntu3.1
	11.10 oneiric	Fixed 5.3.6-13ubuntu3.7
	11.04 natty	Fixed 5.3.5-1ubuntu7.8
	10.04 LTS lucid	Fixed 5.3.2-1ubuntu4.15
	8.04 LTS hardy	Fixed 5.2.4-2ubuntu5.24

Notes

mdeslaur

Fix was incomplete, see CVE-2012-2311

Severity score breakdown

Parameter	Value
Base score	9.8 · Critical
Attack vector	Network
Attack complexity	Low
Privileges required	None
User interaction	None
Scope	Unchanged
Confidentiality	High
Integrity impact	High
Availability impact	High
Vector	CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

References

Related Ubuntu Security Notices (USN)

USN-1437-1
PHP vulnerability
4 May 2012