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Vulnerability details: VCID-1a47-cc8v-xbdu
Vulnerability ID VCID-1a47-cc8v-xbdu
Aliases CVE-2017-5223
GHSA-4x5h-cr29-fhp6
Summary Local File Disclosure PHPMailer's `msgHTML` method applies transformations to an HTML document to make it usable as an email message body. One of the transformations is to convert relative image URLs into attachments using a script-provided base directory. If no base directory is provided, it resolves to `/`, meaning that relative image URLs get treated as absolute local file paths and added as attachments.
Status Published
Exploitability 2.0
Weighted Severity 6.2
Risk 10.0
Affected and Fixed Packages Package Details
Weaknesses (3)
CWE-1035 OWASP Top Ten 2017 Category A9 - Using Components with Known Vulnerabilities
CWE-200 Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor
CWE-937 OWASP Top Ten 2013 Category A9 - Using Components with Known Vulnerabilities
System Score Found at
cvssv3.1 5.5 http://kalilinux.co/2017/01/12/phpmailer-cve-2017-5223-local-information-disclosure-vulnerability-analysis
generic_textual MODERATE http://kalilinux.co/2017/01/12/phpmailer-cve-2017-5223-local-information-disclosure-vulnerability-analysis
epss 0.02922 https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2017-5223
epss 0.02922 https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2017-5223
epss 0.02922 https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2017-5223
epss 0.02922 https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2017-5223
cvssv2 4 https://ftp.suse.com/pub/projects/security/yaml/suse-cvss-scores.yaml
cvssv3.1_qr MODERATE https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-4x5h-cr29-fhp6
cvssv3.1 5.5 https://github.com/FriendsOfPHP/security-advisories/blob/master/phpmailer/phpmailer/CVE-2017-5223.yaml
generic_textual MODERATE https://github.com/FriendsOfPHP/security-advisories/blob/master/phpmailer/phpmailer/CVE-2017-5223.yaml
cvssv3.1 5.5 https://github.com/PHPMailer/PHPMailer/blob/master/SECURITY.md
generic_textual MODERATE https://github.com/PHPMailer/PHPMailer/blob/master/SECURITY.md
cvssv3.1 5.5 https://github.com/PHPMailer/PHPMailer/releases/tag/v5.2.22
generic_textual MODERATE https://github.com/PHPMailer/PHPMailer/releases/tag/v5.2.22
cvssv3.1 5.5 https://github.com/PHPMailer/PHPMailer/security/advisories/GHSA-4x5h-cr29-fhp6
cvssv3.1_qr MODERATE https://github.com/PHPMailer/PHPMailer/security/advisories/GHSA-4x5h-cr29-fhp6
generic_textual MODERATE https://github.com/PHPMailer/PHPMailer/security/advisories/GHSA-4x5h-cr29-fhp6
cvssv3.1 5.5 https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-5223
generic_textual MODERATE https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-5223
cvssv3.1 5.5 https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/43056
generic_textual MODERATE https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/43056
cvssv3.1 5.5 http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/95328
generic_textual MODERATE http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/95328
Reference id Reference type URL
http://kalilinux.co/2017/01/12/phpmailer-cve-2017-5223-local-information-disclosure-vulnerability-analysis
http://kalilinux.co/2017/01/12/phpmailer-cve-2017-5223-local-information-disclosure-vulnerability-analysis/
https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2017-5223
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2017-5223
https://ftp.suse.com/pub/projects/security/yaml/suse-cvss-scores.yaml
https://github.com/FriendsOfPHP/security-advisories/blob/master/phpmailer/phpmailer/CVE-2017-5223.yaml
https://github.com/PHPMailer/PHPMailer/blob/master/SECURITY.md
https://github.com/PHPMailer/PHPMailer/releases/tag/v5.2.22
https://github.com/PHPMailer/PHPMailer/security/advisories/GHSA-4x5h-cr29-fhp6
https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/43056
https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/43056/
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/95328
853232 https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=853232
CVE-2017-5223 Exploit https://gitlab.com/exploit-database/exploitdb/-/blob/main/exploits/php/webapps/43056.py
CVE-2017-5223 https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-5223
GHSA-4x5h-cr29-fhp6 https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-4x5h-cr29-fhp6
USN-5956-1 https://usn.ubuntu.com/5956-1/
Data source Exploit-DB
Date added Oct. 26, 2017
Description PHPMailer < 5.2.21 - Local File Disclosure
Ransomware campaign use Unknown
Source publication date Oct. 25, 2017
Exploit type webapps
Platform php
Source update date Dec. 22, 2017
Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N Found at http://kalilinux.co/2017/01/12/phpmailer-cve-2017-5223-local-information-disclosure-vulnerability-analysis
Attack Vector (AV) Attack Complexity (AC) Privileges Required (PR) User Interaction (UI) Scope (S) Confidentiality Impact (C) Integrity Impact (I) Availability Impact (A)

network

adjacent_network

local

physical

low

high

none

low

high

none

required

unchanged

changed

high

low

none

high

low

none

high

low

none
Vector: AV:N/AC:L/Au:S/C:P/I:N/A:N Found at https://ftp.suse.com/pub/projects/security/yaml/suse-cvss-scores.yaml
Exploitability (E) Access Vector (AV) Access Complexity (AC) Authentication (Au) Confidentiality Impact (C) Integrity Impact (I) Availability Impact (A)

high

functional

unproven

proof_of_concept

not_defined

local

adjacent_network

network

high

medium

low

multiple

single

none

none

partial

complete

none

partial

complete

none

partial

complete
Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N Found at https://github.com/FriendsOfPHP/security-advisories/blob/master/phpmailer/phpmailer/CVE-2017-5223.yaml
Attack Vector (AV) Attack Complexity (AC) Privileges Required (PR) User Interaction (UI) Scope (S) Confidentiality Impact (C) Integrity Impact (I) Availability Impact (A)

network

adjacent_network

local

physical

low

high

none

low

high

none

required

unchanged

changed

high

low

none

high

low

none

high

low

none
Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N Found at https://github.com/PHPMailer/PHPMailer/blob/master/SECURITY.md
Attack Vector (AV) Attack Complexity (AC) Privileges Required (PR) User Interaction (UI) Scope (S) Confidentiality Impact (C) Integrity Impact (I) Availability Impact (A)

network

adjacent_network

local

physical

low

high

none

low

high

none

required

unchanged

changed

high

low

none

high

low

none

high

low

none
Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N Found at https://github.com/PHPMailer/PHPMailer/releases/tag/v5.2.22
Attack Vector (AV) Attack Complexity (AC) Privileges Required (PR) User Interaction (UI) Scope (S) Confidentiality Impact (C) Integrity Impact (I) Availability Impact (A)

network

adjacent_network

local

physical

low

high

none

low

high

none

required

unchanged

changed

high

low

none

high

low

none

high

low

none
Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N Found at https://github.com/PHPMailer/PHPMailer/security/advisories/GHSA-4x5h-cr29-fhp6
Attack Vector (AV) Attack Complexity (AC) Privileges Required (PR) User Interaction (UI) Scope (S) Confidentiality Impact (C) Integrity Impact (I) Availability Impact (A)

network

adjacent_network

local

physical

low

high

none

low

high

none

required

unchanged

changed

high

low

none

high

low

none

high

low

none
Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N Found at https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-5223
Attack Vector (AV) Attack Complexity (AC) Privileges Required (PR) User Interaction (UI) Scope (S) Confidentiality Impact (C) Integrity Impact (I) Availability Impact (A)

network

adjacent_network

local

physical

low

high

none

low

high

none

required

unchanged

changed

high

low

none

high

low

none

high

low

none
Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N Found at https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/43056
Attack Vector (AV) Attack Complexity (AC) Privileges Required (PR) User Interaction (UI) Scope (S) Confidentiality Impact (C) Integrity Impact (I) Availability Impact (A)

network

adjacent_network

local

physical

low

high

none

low

high

none

required

unchanged

changed

high

low

none

high

low

none

high

low

none
Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N Found at http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/95328
Attack Vector (AV) Attack Complexity (AC) Privileges Required (PR) User Interaction (UI) Scope (S) Confidentiality Impact (C) Integrity Impact (I) Availability Impact (A)

network

adjacent_network

local

physical

low

high

none

low

high

none

required

unchanged

changed

high

low

none

high

low

none

high

low

none
Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS)
Percentile 0.86659
EPSS Score 0.02922
Published At June 4, 2026, 12:55 p.m.
Date Actor Action Source VulnerableCode Version
2026-06-02T04:36:45.701647+00:00 GitLab Importer Import https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/advisories-community/-/blob/main/packagist/phpmailer/phpmailer/CVE-2017-5223.yml 38.6.0