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Vulnerability details: VCID-vqjk-32b7-zkgz
Vulnerability ID VCID-vqjk-32b7-zkgz
Aliases CVE-2020-36326
GHSA-m298-fh5c-jc66
Summary Object injection in PHPMailer/PHPMailer ### Impact This is a reintroduction of an earlier issue (CVE-2018-19296) by an unrelated bug fix in PHPMailer 6.1.8. An external file may be unexpectedly executable if it is used as a path to an attachment file via PHP's support for `.phar` files`. Exploitation requires that an attacker is able to provide an unfiltered path to a file to attach, or to trick calling code into generating one. See [this article](https://knasmueller.net/5-answers-about-php-phar-exploitation) for more info. ### Patches This issue was patched in the PHPMailer 6.4.1 release. This release also implements stricter filtering for attachment paths; paths that look like *any* kind of URL are rejected. ### Workarounds Validate paths to loaded files using the same pattern as used in [`isPermittedPath()`](https://github.com/PHPMailer/PHPMailer/blob/master/src/PHPMailer.php#L1815) before using them in *any* PHP file function, such as `file_exists`. This method can't be used directly because it is protected, but you can implement the same thing in calling code. Note that this should be applied to *all* user-supplied paths passed into such functions; it's not a problem specific to PHPMailer. ### Credit This issue was found by Fariskhi Vidyan, reported and managed via Tidelift.
Status Published
Exploitability 0.5
Weighted Severity 9.0
Risk 4.5
Affected and Fixed Packages Package Details
Weaknesses (4)
System Score Found at
epss 0.0114 https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2020-36326
epss 0.0146 https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2020-36326
epss 0.0146 https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2020-36326
epss 0.0146 https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2020-36326
epss 0.0146 https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2020-36326
epss 0.01742 https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2020-36326
epss 0.01742 https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2020-36326
epss 0.01809 https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2020-36326
epss 0.01809 https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2020-36326
epss 0.01809 https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2020-36326
epss 0.01809 https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2020-36326
epss 0.01809 https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2020-36326
epss 0.01809 https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2020-36326
epss 0.01809 https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2020-36326
epss 0.01809 https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2020-36326
epss 0.01809 https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2020-36326
epss 0.01809 https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2020-36326
epss 0.01809 https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2020-36326
epss 0.01809 https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2020-36326
cvssv3.1_qr CRITICAL https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-m298-fh5c-jc66
cvssv3.1 9.8 https://github.com/FriendsOfPHP/security-advisories/blob/master/phpmailer/phpmailer/CVE-2020-36326.yaml
generic_textual CRITICAL https://github.com/FriendsOfPHP/security-advisories/blob/master/phpmailer/phpmailer/CVE-2020-36326.yaml
cvssv3.1 9.8 https://github.com/PHPMailer/PHPMailer/commit/e2e07a355ee8ff36aba21d0242c5950c56e4c6f9
generic_textual CRITICAL https://github.com/PHPMailer/PHPMailer/commit/e2e07a355ee8ff36aba21d0242c5950c56e4c6f9
cvssv3.1 9.8 https://github.com/PHPMailer/PHPMailer/releases/tag/v6.4.1
generic_textual CRITICAL https://github.com/PHPMailer/PHPMailer/releases/tag/v6.4.1
cvssv3.1 9.8 https://github.com/PHPMailer/PHPMailer/security/advisories/GHSA-m298-fh5c-jc66
cvssv3.1_qr CRITICAL https://github.com/PHPMailer/PHPMailer/security/advisories/GHSA-m298-fh5c-jc66
generic_textual CRITICAL https://github.com/PHPMailer/PHPMailer/security/advisories/GHSA-m298-fh5c-jc66
cvssv3.1 9.8 https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/3B5WDPGUFNPG4NAZ6G4BZX43BKLAVA5B
generic_textual CRITICAL https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/3B5WDPGUFNPG4NAZ6G4BZX43BKLAVA5B
cvssv3.1 9.8 https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/KPU66INRFY5BQ3ESVPRUXJR4DXQAFJVT
generic_textual CRITICAL https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/KPU66INRFY5BQ3ESVPRUXJR4DXQAFJVT
cvssv2 7.5 https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-36326
cvssv3.1 9.8 https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-36326
generic_textual CRITICAL https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-36326
Reference id Reference type URL
https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2020-36326
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2020-36326
https://github.com/FriendsOfPHP/security-advisories/blob/master/phpmailer/phpmailer/CVE-2020-36326.yaml
https://github.com/PHPMailer/PHPMailer/commit/e2e07a355ee8ff36aba21d0242c5950c56e4c6f9
https://github.com/PHPMailer/PHPMailer/releases/tag/v6.4.1
https://github.com/PHPMailer/PHPMailer/security/advisories/GHSA-m298-fh5c-jc66
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/3B5WDPGUFNPG4NAZ6G4BZX43BKLAVA5B/
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/KPU66INRFY5BQ3ESVPRUXJR4DXQAFJVT/
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/3B5WDPGUFNPG4NAZ6G4BZX43BKLAVA5B
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/3B5WDPGUFNPG4NAZ6G4BZX43BKLAVA5B/
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/KPU66INRFY5BQ3ESVPRUXJR4DXQAFJVT
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/KPU66INRFY5BQ3ESVPRUXJR4DXQAFJVT/
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-36326
988732 https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=988732
cpe:2.3:a:phpmailer_project:phpmailer:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/search/results?adv_search=true&isCpeNameSearch=true&query=cpe:2.3:a:phpmailer_project:phpmailer:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:wordpress:wordpress:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/search/results?adv_search=true&isCpeNameSearch=true&query=cpe:2.3:a:wordpress:wordpress:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
GHSA-m298-fh5c-jc66 https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-m298-fh5c-jc66
No exploits are available.
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H Found at https://github.com/FriendsOfPHP/security-advisories/blob/master/phpmailer/phpmailer/CVE-2020-36326.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:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H Found at https://github.com/PHPMailer/PHPMailer/commit/e2e07a355ee8ff36aba21d0242c5950c56e4c6f9
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:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H Found at https://github.com/PHPMailer/PHPMailer/releases/tag/v6.4.1
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:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H Found at https://github.com/PHPMailer/PHPMailer/security/advisories/GHSA-m298-fh5c-jc66
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:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H Found at https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/3B5WDPGUFNPG4NAZ6G4BZX43BKLAVA5B
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:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H Found at https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/KPU66INRFY5BQ3ESVPRUXJR4DXQAFJVT
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:N/C:P/I:P/A:P Found at https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-36326
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:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H Found at https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-36326
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 0.77627
EPSS Score 0.0114
Published At Aug. 1, 2025, 12:55 p.m.
Date Actor Action Source VulnerableCode Version
2025-07-31T08:54:22.872804+00:00 GithubOSV Importer Import https://github.com/github/advisory-database/blob/main/advisories/github-reviewed/2021/05/GHSA-m298-fh5c-jc66/GHSA-m298-fh5c-jc66.json 37.0.0