critical CVSS 9.8

CVE-2025-14179·PHP vulnerability

In PHP versions 8.2.* before 8.2.31, 8.3.* before 8.3.31, 8.4.* before 8.4.21, and 8.5.* before 8.5.6, the PDO Firebird driver improperly handles NUL bytes when preparing SQL queries. During token-by-token query construction, a string token containing a NUL byte is copied via strncat(), which stops at the NUL byte, dropping the closing quote and causing subsequent SQL tokens to be interpreted as part of the string. This allows SQL injection when attacker-controlled values are quoted via PDO::quote() and embedded in SQL statements.

Severity
critical
Software
PHP
Fixed in
8.5.6
Published
2026-05-10

Affected versions

From: 8.5.0

Until: 8.5.6

Fixed in: 8.5.6

How to fix this CVE

Upgrade PHP immediately to version 8.5.6 or later to patch a critical SQL injection vulnerability in the PDO Firebird driver. The vulnerability allows attackers to bypass quote handling when NUL bytes are present in query strings, potentially leading to unauthorized database access or manipulation. Ensure all systems running affected PHP versions (8.2.x before 8.2.31, 8.3.x before 8.3.31, 8.4.x before 8.4.21, or 8.5.x before 8.5.6) are updated without delay.

sudo dnf update php

Defensia detects this vulnerability

What an exploitation attempt looks like

Sample log line indicative of exploitation attempts:

POST|GET requests containing URL-encoded NUL bytes (%00) in query parameters passed to Firebird database operations; unusual SQL syntax errors in Firebird logs; unexpected query results from malformed SQL statements in application logs

WAF mitigation (if patching is not yet possible)

Add this rule to your WAF to block exploitation attempts while you schedule the patch. 

Block or sanitize HTTP requests containing NUL bytes (%00, \x00) in query parameters and POST data before they reach the PHP application. Implement input validation rules in ModSecurity or similar WAF to reject payloads with embedded NUL characters: SecRule ARGS|HEADERS|BODY '@rx \x00|%00' 'id:1000,phase:2,deny,status:400'

How to check if you are affected

  1. Check installed PHP version: php -v
  2. Verify PDO Firebird extension is loaded: php -m | grep -i pdo
  3. List active PDO drivers: php -i | grep 'PDO drivers'
  4. Confirm update success: php -v and verify version is 8.5.6 or higher
  5. Review web server error logs for SQL syntax errors: sudo tail -f /var/log/apache2/error.log or /var/log/nginx/error.log
  6. Check for Firebird connection logs: grep -i 'firebird\|pdo' /var/log/syslog

FAQ

What is CVE-2025-14179?

CVE-2025-14179 is a critical SQL injection vulnerability in PHP's PDO Firebird driver where NUL bytes in quoted strings are mishandled, causing the closing quote to be dropped and allowing subsequent SQL tokens to be interpreted as part of the string literal. This enables attackers to inject arbitrary SQL commands when using PDO::quote() with attacker-controlled input.

Is CVE-2025-14179 being actively exploited?

No, CVE-2025-14179 is not listed on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog and no public exploits are currently available. However, the critical CVSS 9.8 score and ease of exploitation warrant immediate patching.

What versions of PHP are affected by CVE-2025-14179?

PHP 8.2.0 through 8.2.30, 8.3.0 through 8.3.30, 8.4.0 through 8.4.20, and 8.5.0 through 8.5.5 are vulnerable. Fixed versions are 8.2.31, 8.3.31, 8.4.21, and 8.5.6 respectively.

How do I check if my server is vulnerable to CVE-2025-14179?

Run 'php -v' to check your PHP version and 'php -m | grep pdo' to confirm PDO is installed. If you are running an affected version range listed above and have PDO Firebird enabled (check 'php -i | grep firebird'), your server is vulnerable.

Does this vulnerability require network access?

Yes, this vulnerability is exploitable remotely if your application accepts user input and constructs Firebird SQL queries via PDO. Any web application using PDO with the Firebird driver to build dynamic queries is at risk.

Does Defensia detect CVE-2025-14179?

Yes — Defensia's CVE advisory scanner compares installed package versions against the NVD database. If PHP is installed on a monitored server, CVE-2025-14179 will appear in your dashboard with remediation steps.

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References

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