XML-RPC for PHP allows access to local files via malicious argument to the Client::send methodGHSA-m95x-m25c-w9mp
Fix: gggeek/phpxmlrpc@cf6e605GHSA-m95x-m25c-w9mp is a security vulnerability in phpxmlrpc/phpxmlrpc. A fix is available for phpxmlrpc/phpxmlrpc — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Real-World Exposure
phpxmlrpc/phpxmlrpcReal-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
Abusing the $method argument of Client::send, it was possible to force the client to access local files or connect to undesired urls instead of the intended target server's url (the one used in the Client constructor).
This weakness only affects installations where all the following conditions apply, at the same time:
- the xmlrpc Client is used, ie. not xmlrpc servers
- untrusted data (eg. data from remote users) is used as value for the
$methodargument of methodClient::send(), in conjunction with conditions which trigger usage of curl as http transport (ie. either using the https, http11 or http2 protocols, or callingClient::setUseCurl()beforehand) - either have set the Clients
return_typeproperty to 'xml', or make the resulting Response's objecthttpResponsemember, which is intended to be used for debugging purposes only, available to 3rd parties, eg. by displaying it to the end user or serializing it in some storage (note that the same data can also be accessed via magic propertyResponse::raw_data, and in the Request'shttpResponsemember)
This is most likely a very uncommon usage scenario, and as such the chances of exploitation of this issue may be low.
If it is not possible to upgrade to this release of the library at this time, a proactive security measure, to avoid the Client accessing any local file on the server which hosts it, is to add the following call to your code:
$client->setCurlOptions([CURLOPT_PROTOCOLS, CURLPROTO_HTTPS|CURLPROTO_HTTP]);
Originally reported as issue #81
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐘Packagist | phpxmlrpc/phpxmlrpc | all versions | 4.9.0composer require phpxmlrpc/phpxmlrpc:^4.9.0 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for phpxmlrpc/phpxmlrpc, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update phpxmlrpc/phpxmlrpc to 4.9.0 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-m95x-m25c-w9mp 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GHSA-m95x-m25c-w9mp in your dependencies?
Find it across Packagist, including transitive dependencies.