Unrated severityNVD Advisory· Published Nov 29, 2009· Updated Jun 16, 2026

CVE-2009-4018

Description

The proc_open function in ext/standard/proc_open.c in PHP before 5.2.11 and 5.3.x before 5.3.1 does not enforce the (1) safe_mode_allowed_env_vars and (2) safe_mode_protected_env_vars directives, which allows context-dependent attackers to execute programs with an arbitrary environment via the env parameter, as demonstrated by a crafted value of the LD_LIBRARY_PATH environment variable.

AI Insight

LLM-synthesized narrative grounded in this CVE's description and references.

Affected products

111

PHP/PHP111 versions
cpe:2.3:a:php:php:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*+ 110 more
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*range: <=5.2.10
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:1.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:2.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:2.0b10:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:3.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:3.0.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:3.0.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:3.0.11:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:3.0.12:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:3.0.13:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:3.0.14:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:3.0.15:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:3.0.16:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:3.0.17:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:3.0.18:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:3.0.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:3.0.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:3.0.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:3.0.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:3.0.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:3.0.7:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:3.0.8:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:3.0.9:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:4.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:4.0.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:4.0.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:4.0.1:patch1:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:4.0.1:patch2:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:4.0.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:4.0.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:4.0.3:patch1:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:4.0.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:4.0.4:patch1:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:4.0.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:4.0.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:4.0.7:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:4.0.7:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:4.0.7:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:4.0.7:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:4.0.7:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:4.0:beta1:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:4.0:beta2:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:4.0:beta3:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:4.0:beta4:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:4.0:beta_4_patch1:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:4.0:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:4.0:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:4.1.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:4.1.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:4.1.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:4.2.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:4.2.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:4.2.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:4.2.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:4.2:*:dev:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:4.3.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:4.3.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:4.3.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:4.3.11:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:4.3.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:4.3.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:4.3.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:4.3.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:4.3.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:4.3.7:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:4.3.8:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:4.3.9:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:4.4.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:4.4.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:4.4.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:4.4.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:4.4.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:4.4.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:4.4.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:4.4.7:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:4.4.8:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:4.4.9:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:5.0.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:5.0.0:beta1:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:5.0.0:beta2:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:5.0.0:beta3:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:5.0.0:beta4:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:5.0.0:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:5.0.0:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:5.0.0:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:5.0.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:5.0.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:5.0.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:5.0.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:5.0.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:5.0:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:5.0:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:5.0:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:5.1.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:5.1.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:5.1.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:5.1.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:5.1.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:5.1.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:5.1.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:5.2.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:5.2.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:5.2.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:5.2.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:5.2.7:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:5.2.8:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:5.2.9:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:php:php:5.3.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- (no CPE)range: <5.2.11, <5.3.1

Patches

Vulnerability mechanics

References

marc.infonvdPatch
marc.infonvdPatch
svn.php.net/viewvc/nvdPatch
svn.php.net/viewvc/php/php-src/branches/PHP_5_2/ext/standard/proc_open.cnvdPatch
svn.php.net/viewvc/php/php-src/branches/PHP_5_3/ext/standard/proc_open.cnvdPatch
www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2009/11/23/15nvdPatch
bugs.php.net/bug.phpnvdExploitPatch
marc.infonvd
secunia.com/advisories/40262nvd
secunia.com/advisories/41480nvd
secunia.com/advisories/41490nvd
www.itrc.hp.com/service/cki/docDisplay.donvd
www.mandriva.com/security/advisoriesnvd
www.php.net/ChangeLog-5.phpnvd
www.securityfocus.com/bid/37138nvd
oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A7256nvd

News mentions

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epss	0.009
exploit	0.030
kev	0.000
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