critical CVSS 9.9

CVE-2026-24848·PHP vulnerability

OpenEMR is a free and open source electronic health records and medical practice management application. In 7.0.4 and earlier, the disposeDocument() method in EtherFaxActions.php allows authenticated users to write arbitrary content to arbitrary locations on the server filesystem. This vulnerability can be exploited to achieve Remote Code Execution (RCE) by uploading malicious PHP web shells.

Severity
critical
Software
PHP
Fixed in
7.0.4
Published
2026-03-03

Affected versions

Until: 7.0.4

Fixed in: 7.0.4

How to fix this CVE

Update PHP to version 7.0.5 or later to patch the arbitrary file write vulnerability in the disposeDocument() method. This critical flaw allows authenticated users to upload malicious PHP scripts to arbitrary filesystem locations, leading to remote code execution. Ensure all OpenEMR installations are upgraded immediately and verify file permissions restrict web-writable directories.

sudo dnf update php

Defensia detects this vulnerability

What an exploitation attempt looks like

Sample log line indicative of exploitation attempts:

POST.*EtherFaxActions\.php.*disposeDocument|File write to [^/]*\.php in non-standard directories|Unexpected PHP files created in /tmp|/var/tmp|upload directories with timestamps correlating to suspicious POST requests

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 restrict POST requests to EtherFaxActions.php endpoints unless from trusted internal IPs. Implement file upload restrictions to prevent PHP files from being written outside designated directories. Use ModSecurity rules to detect attempts to write executable files via web requests.

How to check if you are affected

  1. Run `php -v` to check the installed PHP version and confirm it is 7.0.5 or later
  2. Verify OpenEMR version by checking the version.php file or admin dashboard; ensure installation is not on 7.0.4 or earlier
  3. Search web server logs for POST requests to EtherFaxActions.php with disposeDocument() calls: `grep -i 'disposedocument' /var/log/apache2/access.log /var/log/nginx/access.log`
  4. Verify the fix by checking file modification times in upload directories and confirming no unexpected PHP files exist in unexpected locations with `find / -name '*.php' -type f -newermt '2024-01-01' 2>/dev/null`

FAQ

What is CVE-2026-24848?

CVE-2026-24848 is a critical arbitrary file write vulnerability in PHP versions 7.0.4 and earlier that allows authenticated users to upload malicious PHP code to any filesystem location, enabling remote code execution on the server.

Is CVE-2026-24848 being actively exploited?

No, this vulnerability is not currently listed on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog and no public exploits are available, though the high severity warrants immediate patching.

What versions of PHP are affected by CVE-2026-24848?

PHP versions up to and including 7.0.4 are affected. The vulnerability is resolved in PHP 7.0.5 and later versions.

How do I check if my server is vulnerable to CVE-2026-24848?

Run `php -v` to verify your version. If the output shows 7.0.4 or earlier, your system is vulnerable and requires immediate update to 7.0.5 or newer.

Does Defensia detect CVE-2026-24848?

Yes — Defensia's CVE advisory scanner compares installed package versions against the NVD database. If PHP is installed on a monitored server, CVE-2026-24848 will appear in your dashboard with remediation steps.

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References

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