# CVE-2008-5624: Security feature bypass in n/a

> Attackers can bypass PHP safe_mode restrictions by manipulating uninitialized global variables, allowing unauthorized access to restricted settings.

- **Severity:** High 7.5 (`AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 17 Dec 2008
- **Updated:** 7 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-84wj-6mhh-jgr7

## What is CVE-2008-5624?

CVE-2008-5624 is a high-severity vulnerability in Php Php, published on 17 Dec 2008. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

PHP 5 before 5.2.7 does not properly initialize the page_uid and page_gid global variables for use by the SAPI php_getuid function, which allows context-dependent attackers to bypass safe_mode restrictions via variable settings that are intended to be restricted to root, as demonstrated by a setting of /etc for the error_log variable.

Weakness: CWE-264

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2008-5624?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Php Php.

## How do I fix CVE-2008-5624?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2008-5624 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2008-5624 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Php Php

- [CVE-2012-2688](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-2688/): Integer overflow in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2012-2376](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-2376/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2011-3268](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2011-3268/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2009-4143](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2009-4143/): Other in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2008-5557](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2008-5557/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 10.0)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2008-5624 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2008-5624 is a high-severity vulnerability in Php Php, published on 17 Dec 2008. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2008-5624 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Php Php. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2008-5624/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2008-5624/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2008-5624
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2008-5624
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2008-5624

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2008-5624/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.