GHSA-j8p3-8m69-2hqq is a high-severity (CVSS 7.5) Improper Input Validation vulnerability in cakephp/cakephp. 3 public exploit references exist, so weaponization risk is real. A fix is available for cakephp/cakephp — see the affected versions and patch details below.
CakePHP allows remote attackers to spoof their IP
EPSS Exploitation Probability
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.
How urgent is this, really
GHSA-j8p3-8m69-2hqq plotted by exploitation likelihood (EPSS) against impact (CVSS). The shaded corner — EPSS 50%+ and CVSS 7.0+ — is where this CVE doesn't sit, though severity or exploitability alone can still warrant action.
Where this sits among everything scored
Of 378,567 CVEs with a current EPSS score, this one falls in the < 10% band (highlighted). Real counts from FIRST.org, not a sample — log-scaled since the landscape is heavily right-skewed.
Real-World Exposure
cakephp/cakephp🐘cakephp/cakephp🐘cakephp/cakephp🐘cakephp/cakephp🐘cakephp/cakephp🐘cakephp/cakephpReal-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 clientIp function in CakePHP 3.2.4 and earlier allows remote attackers to spoof their IP via the CLIENT-IP HTTP header.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐘Packagist | cakephp/cakephp | ≥ 1.2.0&&< 2.6.13 | 2.6.13composer require cakephp/cakephp:^2.6.13 |
| 🐘Packagist | cakephp/cakephp | ≥ 2.7.0-rc1&&< 2.7.11 | 2.7.11composer require cakephp/cakephp:^2.7.11 |
| 🐘Packagist | cakephp/cakephp | ≥ 2.8.0-rc1&&< 2.8.2 | 2.8.2composer require cakephp/cakephp:^2.8.2 |
| 🐘Packagist | cakephp/cakephp | ≥ 3.0.0-rc1&&< 3.0.17 | 3.0.17composer require cakephp/cakephp:^3.0.17 |
| 🐘Packagist | cakephp/cakephp | ≥ 3.1.0-beta1&&< 3.1.12 | 3.1.12composer require cakephp/cakephp:^3.1.12 |
| 🐘Packagist | cakephp/cakephp | ≥ 3.2.0-rc1&&< 3.2.5 | 3.2.5composer require cakephp/cakephp:^3.2.5 |
Research use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.
CakePHP Framework 3.2.4 - IP Spoofing
by Dawid Golunski · May 16, 2016
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for cakephp/cakephp, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update cakephp/cakephp to 2.6.13 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-j8p3-8m69-2hqq 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 GHSA-j8p3-8m69-2hqq can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to GHSA-j8p3-8m69-2hqq. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GHSA-j8p3-8m69-2hqq in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds GHSA-j8p3-8m69-2hqq across Packagist dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.