CVE-2025-2244·PHP vulnerability
A vulnerability in the sendMailFromRemoteSource method in Emails.php as used in Bitdefender GravityZone Console unsafely uses php unserialize() on user-supplied input without validation. By crafting a malicious serialized payload, an attacker can trigger PHP object injection, perform a file write, and gain arbitrary command execution on the host system.
- Severity
- critical
- Software
- PHP
- Fixed in
- 6.41.2-1
- Published
- 2025-04-04
Affected versions
Until: 6.41.2-1
Fixed in: 6.41.2-1
How to fix this CVE
Update PHP to version 6.41.2-1 or later to patch the insecure deserialization vulnerability in the sendMailFromRemoteSource method. This critical vulnerability allows remote code execution through malicious serialized objects. Verify the update is applied and restart your web services to ensure the patched code is loaded.
sudo dnf update php-6.41.2-1 && sudo systemctl restart httpd php-fpmDefensia detects this vulnerability
What an exploitation attempt looks like
Sample log line indicative of exploitation attempts:
POST|GET requests containing base64-encoded serialized PHP objects (pattern: O:\d+:"[a-zA-Z_\x7f-\xff][a-zA-Z0-9_\x7f-\xff]*") sent to endpoints handling email composition or remote mail functionsWAF 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 requests to sendMailFromRemoteSource and related email handler endpoints that contain serialized PHP object patterns (e.g., strings beginning with 'O:', 'r:', 'C:' which indicate PHP serialized objects). Implement strict input validation to reject any payload containing the unserialize() magic bytes.How to check if you are affected
- Run `php -v` to check the currently installed PHP version and compare it against the fixed version 6.41.2-1
- Search your application logs for calls to sendMailFromRemoteSource method: `grep -r 'sendMailFromRemoteSource' /var/www/html /var/log/apache2 /var/log/nginx`
- Check web server access logs for POST requests to email-handling endpoints with base64-encoded or serialized payloads: `grep -i 'serialize\|base64' /var/log/apache2/access.log /var/log/nginx/access.log`
- Verify the patched version is running after update: `php -v | grep 6.41.2-1` and confirm with `dpkg -l | grep php` or `rpm -qa | grep php`
FAQ
What is CVE-2025-2244?
CVE-2025-2244 is a critical remote code execution vulnerability in PHP's sendMailFromRemoteSource method that improperly deserializes untrusted user input using unserialize(), allowing attackers to inject malicious PHP objects and execute arbitrary commands on the server.
Is CVE-2025-2244 being actively exploited?
According to CISA, CVE-2025-2244 is not currently listed in the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, and no public exploits are available. However, the critical CVSS score of 9.8 makes this a high-priority target for attackers.
What versions of PHP are affected by CVE-2025-2244?
All versions up to and including 6.41.1 are vulnerable. The vulnerability is fixed in version 6.41.2-1 and later releases.
How do I check if my server is vulnerable to CVE-2025-2244?
Run `php -v` and compare the version output. If it shows 6.41.1 or earlier, your system is vulnerable. Cross-reference with your package manager: `dpkg -l | grep php` (Debian/Ubuntu) or `rpm -qa | grep php` (RHEL/CentOS).
Does Defensia detect CVE-2025-2244?
Yes — Defensia's CVE advisory scanner compares installed package versions against the NVD database. If PHP is installed on a monitored server, CVE-2025-2244 will appear in your dashboard with remediation steps.
Related PHP CVEs
References
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