{"id":"GHSA-5f37-gxvh-23v6","summary":"Remote code execution in PHPMailer","details":"### Impact\nThe `mailSend` function in the default `isMail` transport in PHPMailer before 5.2.18 might allow remote attackers to pass extra parameters to the mail command and consequently execute arbitrary code via a \\" (backslash double quote) in a crafted `Sender` property.\n\n### Patches\nFixed in 5.2.18\n\n### Workarounds\nFilter and validate user input before passing it to internal functions.\n\n### References\nhttps://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-10033\nRelated to a follow-on issue in https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-10045\n\n### For more information\nIf you have any questions or comments about this advisory:\n* Open a private issue in [the PHPMailer project](https://github.com/PHPMailer/PHPMailer)","aliases":["CVE-2016-10033"],"modified":"2025-10-22T19:26:42.172992Z","published":"2020-03-05T22:09:17Z","database_specific":{"nvd_published_at":"2016-12-30T19:59:00Z","cwe_ids":["CWE-77","CWE-88"],"severity":"CRITICAL","github_reviewed":true,"github_reviewed_at":"2020-03-05T22:05:13Z"},"references":[{"type":"WEB","url":"https://github.com/PHPMailer/PHPMailer/security/advisories/GHSA-5f37-gxvh-23v6"},{"type":"ADVISORY","url":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-10033"},{"type":"WEB","url":"https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/42221"},{"type":"WEB","url":"https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/42024"},{"type":"WEB","url":"https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/41996"},{"type":"WEB","url":"https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/41962"},{"type":"WEB","url":"https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/40986"},{"type":"WEB","url":"https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/40974"},{"type":"WEB","url":"https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/40970"},{"type":"WEB","url":"https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/40969"},{"type":"WEB","url":"https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/40968"},{"type":"WEB","url":"https://www.drupal.org/psa-2016-004"},{"type":"WEB","url":"https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2016-10033"},{"type":"WEB","url":"https://legalhackers.com/advisories/PHPMailer-Exploit-Remote-Code-Exec-CVE-2016-10033-Vuln.html"},{"type":"WEB","url":"https://github.com/PHPMailer/PHPMailer/wiki/About-the-CVE-2016-10033-and-CVE-2016-10045-vulnerabilities"},{"type":"WEB","url":"https://github.com/PHPMailer/PHPMailer/releases/tag/v5.2.18"},{"type":"PACKAGE","url":"https://github.com/PHPMailer/PHPMailer"},{"type":"WEB","url":"https://github.com/FriendsOfPHP/security-advisories/blob/master/phpmailer/phpmailer/CVE-2016-10033.yaml"},{"type":"WEB","url":"https://developer.joomla.org/security-centre/668-20161205-phpmailer-security-advisory.html"},{"type":"WEB","url":"http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/140291/PHPMailer-Remote-Code-Execution.html"},{"type":"WEB","url":"http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/140350/PHPMailer-Sendmail-Argument-Injection.html"},{"type":"WEB","url":"http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2016/Dec/78"},{"type":"WEB","url":"http://www.rapid7.com/db/modules/exploit/multi/http/phpmailer_arg_injection"}],"affected":[{"package":{"name":"phpmailer/phpmailer","ecosystem":"Packagist","purl":"pkg:composer/phpmailer/phpmailer"},"ranges":[{"type":"ECOSYSTEM","events":[{"introduced":"5.0.0"},{"fixed":"5.2.18"}]}],"versions":["v5.2.10","v5.2.11","v5.2.12","v5.2.13","v5.2.14","v5.2.15","v5.2.16","v5.2.17","v5.2.2","v5.2.4","v5.2.5","v5.2.6","v5.2.7","v5.2.8","v5.2.9"],"database_specific":{"source":"https://github.com/github/advisory-database/blob/main/advisories/github-reviewed/2020/03/GHSA-5f37-gxvh-23v6/GHSA-5f37-gxvh-23v6.json"}}],"schema_version":"1.9.0","severity":[{"type":"CVSS_V3","score":"CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:H"}]}