{"id":"GHSA-4pc3-96mx-wwc8","aliases":["CVE-2016-10045"],"title":"Remote code execution in PHPMailer","description":"### Impact\nThe `isMail` transport in PHPMailer before 5.2.20 might allow remote attackers to pass extra parameters to the `mail` command and consequently execute arbitrary code by leveraging improper interaction between the `escapeshellarg` function and internal escaping performed in the mail function in PHP. NOTE: this vulnerability exists because of an incorrect fix for CVE-2016-10033.\n\nThis issue really emphasises that it's worth avoiding the built-in PHP `mail()` function entirely.\n\n### Patches\nFixed in 5.2.20\n\n### Workarounds\nSend via SMTP to localhost instead of calling the `mail()` function.\n\n### References\nhttps://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-10045\nSee also https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-10033\n\n### For more information\nIf you have any questions or comments about this advisory:\n* Open a private issue in [the PHPMailer project](https://github.com/PHPMailer/PHPMailer)","severity":"critical","score":9.8,"published":"2020-03-05T22:09:14.000Z","modified":"2025-04-14T22:27:44.787Z","withdrawn":false,"knownExploited":false,"affected":[{"ecosystem":"Packagist","name":"phpmailer/phpmailer","ranges":[{"events":[{"introduced":"5.0.0"},{"fixed":"5.2.20"}],"type":"ECOSYSTEM"}],"versions":["v5.2.10","v5.2.11","v5.2.12","v5.2.13","v5.2.14","v5.2.15","v5.2.16","v5.2.17","v5.2.18","v5.2.19","v5.2.2","v5.2.4","v5.2.5","v5.2.6","v5.2.7","v5.2.8","v5.2.9"],"fixed":["5.2.20"]}],"references":["https://github.com/PHPMailer/PHPMailer/security/advisories/GHSA-4pc3-96mx-wwc8","https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-10045","https://developer.joomla.org/security-centre/668-20161205-phpmailer-security-advisory.html","https://github.com/FriendsOfPHP/security-advisories/blob/master/phpmailer/phpmailer/CVE-2016-10045.yaml","https://github.com/PHPMailer/PHPMailer","https://github.com/PHPMailer/PHPMailer/releases/tag/v5.2.20","https://github.com/PHPMailer/PHPMailer/wiki/About-the-CVE-2016-10033-and-CVE-2016-10045-vulnerabilities","https://legalhackers.com/advisories/PHPMailer-Exploit-Remote-Code-Exec-CVE-2016-10045-Vuln-Patch-Bypass.html","https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/40969","https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/40986","https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/42221","http://openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/12/28/1","http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/140286/PHPMailer-Remote-Code-Execution.html","http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/140350/PHPMailer-Sendmail-Argument-Injection.html","http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2016/Dec/81","http://www.rapid7.com/db/modules/exploit/multi/http/phpmailer_arg_injection"],"sources":[{"name":"OSV","id":"GHSA-4pc3-96mx-wwc8","modified":"2025-04-14T22:27:44.787084Z","url":"https://osv.dev/vulnerability/GHSA-4pc3-96mx-wwc8"}],"assessments":[{"source":"OSV","vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H","score":9.8}]}