GHSA-qm5c-m76r-2hfr — laravel/framework
CRITICALGHSA-qm5c-m76r-2hfr is a critical-severity (CVSS 9.9) remote code execution vulnerability in laravel/framework. A fix is available for laravel/framework — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Laravel RCE vulnerability in "cookie" session driver
Real-World Exposure
laravel/framework🐘laravel/frameworkReal-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
Applications using the "cookie" session driver that were also exposing an encryption oracle via their application were vulnerable to remote code execution. An encryption oracle is a mechanism where arbitrary user input is encrypted and the encrypted string is later displayed or exposed to the user. This combination of scenarios lets the user generate valid Laravel signed encryption strings for any plain-text string, thus allowing them to craft Laravel session payloads when an application is using the "cookie" driver.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐘Packagist | laravel/framework | ≥ 4.1.0&&< 6.18.31 | 6.18.31composer require laravel/framework:^6.18.31 |
| 🐘Packagist | laravel/framework | ≥ 7.0.0&&< 7.22.4 | 7.22.4composer require laravel/framework:^7.22.4 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for laravel/framework, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update laravel/framework to 6.18.31 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-qm5c-m76r-2hfr 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-qm5c-m76r-2hfr can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to GHSA-qm5c-m76r-2hfr. 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-qm5c-m76r-2hfr in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds GHSA-qm5c-m76r-2hfr across Packagist dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.