How severe is CVE-2015-5161?

No CVSS score has been assigned to CVE-2015-5161 yet. Review the advisory details and affected package list to assess your exposure.

Which packages are affected by CVE-2015-5161?

CVE-2015-5161 affects the following packages: zendframework/zendframework (Packagist), zendframework/zendframework (Packagist), zendframework/zendframework1 (Packagist), zendframework/zendxml (Packagist), zendframework/zendframework (Packagist). Ecosystems affected: Packagist.

How do I fix CVE-2015-5161?

Update zendframework/zendframework to 2.4.6 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2015-5161 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.

How do I detect CVE-2015-5161 in my Packagist dependencies?

Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for zendframework/zendframework, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.

How do I mitigate CVE-2015-5161 if there is no patch (or I can't update yet)?

If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.

How does O3 Security protect against CVE-2015-5161?

O3 Security's impact-aware SCA analyses which vulnerable code paths your application actually calls, so a match like CVE-2015-5161 can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.

Is CVE-2015-5161 actively exploited in the wild?

Yes. There are 7 known exploit references for CVE-2015-5161, including 2 documented proof-of-concept exploits on Exploit-DB and 5 in-the-wild exploitations observed on GitHub and other sources. Treat this as actively exploitable and prioritize patching immediately. All exploit code should only be run in an isolated sandbox environment for research or authorized testing — never against production systems without explicit written authorization.

What is the EPSS score for CVE-2015-5161?

CVE-2015-5161 has an EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) score of 9.9%, placing it in the 95th percentile of all CVEs. EPSS is maintained by FIRST.org and estimates the probability that a vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. This score indicates relatively lower exploitation probability, though the CVSS severity should still guide your patching priority.

When was CVE-2015-5161 published, and has it been updated?

CVE-2015-5161 was published on May 17, 2022 and was last updated on December 4, 2024. Advisory data evolves as severity scores, affected ranges, and exploit intelligence are revised — always check the latest version of the advisory before acting.

🐘 Packagist

Not in CISA KEV

CVE-2015-5161 — zendframework/zendframewo…

Fix: zendframework/ZendXml@79f478f

CVE-2015-5161 is a security vulnerability in zendframework/zendframework. 7 public exploit references exist, so weaponization risk is real. A fix is available for zendframework/zendframework — see the affected versions and patch details below.

ZendXml and Zend Framework contain XXE and XEE Vulnerabilities

Published

May 17, 2022

Updated

Dec 4, 2024

Affected

5 pkgs

Patched

5 / 5

Exploits

7 known

Exploitation data as of Sep 18, 2026 · OSV.dev, NVD, FIRST.org (EPSS)

EPSS Exploitation Probability

via FIRST.org ↗

9.9%probability of exploitation in next 30 days

Lower Risk0.00%

Lower risk than most CVEs95th percentile — riskier than 95% of all scored CVEsHighest risk

EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) is a daily probability model maintained by FIRST.org. It estimates the likelihood a CVE will be exploited in production environments within the next 30 days, derived from real-world threat intelligence signals.

Real-World Exposure

5 pkgs affected

🐘zendframework/zendframework🐘zendframework/zendframework🐘zendframework/zendframework1🐘zendframework/zendxml🐘zendframework/zendframework

Real-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects Packagist packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.

Description

The Zend_Xml_Security::scan in ZendXml before 1.0.1 and Zend Framework before 1.12.14, 2.x before 2.4.6, and 2.5.x before 2.5.2, when running under PHP-FPM in a threaded environment, allows remote attackers to bypass security checks and conduct XML external entity (XXE) and XML entity expansion (XEE) attacks via multibyte encoded characters.

Affected Packages

5 total 5 fixed

Ecosystem	Package	Vulnerable range	Fix
🐘Packagist	`zendframework/zendframework`	≥ 2.0.0&&< 2.4.6	2.4.6`composer require zendframework/zendframework:^2.4.6`
🐘Packagist	`zendframework/zendframework`	≥ 2.5.0&&< 2.5.2	2.5.2`composer require zendframework/zendframework:^2.5.2`
🐘Packagist	`zendframework/zendframework1`	≥ 1.12.0&&< 1.12.14	1.12.14`composer require zendframework/zendframework1:^1.12.14`
🐘Packagist	`zendframework/zendxml`	≥ 1.0.0&&< 1.0.1	1.0.1`composer require zendframework/zendxml:^1.0.1`
🐘Packagist	`zendframework/zendframework`	≥ 1.12.0&&< 1.12.14	1.12.14`composer require zendframework/zendframework:^1.12.14`

Exploits & PoCs

Research use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.

EDB-37765webappsmultiple

Zend Framework 2.4.2 - PHP FPM XML eXternal Entity Injection

by Dawid Golunski · Aug 13, 2015

Exploit-DB Source

EDB-38573webappsphp

eBay Magento 1.9.2.1 - PHP FPM XML eXternal Entity Injection

by Dawid Golunski · Oct 30, 2015

Exploit-DB Source

Detection & mitigation playbook

Open-source dependency

Detect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for zendframework/zendframework, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update zendframework/zendframework to 2.4.6 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2015-5161 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.
How O3 protects you
O3 Security's impact-aware SCA analyses which vulnerable code paths your application actually calls, so a match like CVE-2015-5161 can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.

Tailored to CVE-2015-5161. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.

Frequently Asked Questions

The `Zend_Xml_Security::scan` in ZendXml before 1.0.1 and Zend Framework before 1.12.14, 2.x before 2.4.6, and 2.5.x before 2.5.2, when running under PHP-FPM in a threaded environment, allows remote attackers to bypass security checks and conduct XML external entity (XXE) and XML entity expansion (XEE) attacks via multibyte encoded characters.

O3 Security · Impact-Aware SCA

Is CVE-2015-5161 in your dependencies?

O3 Security finds CVE-2015-5161 across Packagist dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.

Scan my dependencies How O3 SCA works