# CVE-2020-5225: Log injection in SimpleSAMLphp

> Attackers can inject arbitrary log lines via unsanitized input in SimpleSAMLphp's error reporting script when file logging is enabled.

- **Severity:** Medium 4.4 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 24 Jan 2020
- **Updated:** 4 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2020-5225, GHSA-6gc6-m364-85ww, UBUNTU-CVE-2020-5225

## What is CVE-2020-5225?

CVE-2020-5225 is a medium-severity vulnerability in SimpleSAMLphp, published on 24 Jan 2020. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

Log injection in SimpleSAMLphp before version 1.18.4. The www/erroreport.php script, which receives error reports and sends them via email to the system administrator, did not properly sanitize the report identifier obtained from the request. This allows an attacker, under specific circumstances, to inject new log lines by manually crafting this report ID. When configured to use the file logging handler, SimpleSAMLphp will output all its logs by appending each log line to a given file. Since the reportID parameter received in a request sent to www/errorreport.php was not properly sanitized, it was possible to inject newline characters into it, effectively allowing a malicious user to inject new log lines with arbitrary content.

Weakness: CWE-532 (Insertion of Sensitive Information into Log File)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-5225?

2 open source packages ship an affected version, including simplesamlphp/simplesamlphp. It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `simplesamlphp/simplesamlphp` | Packagist | All versions | 1.18.4 |
| `simplesamlphp/simplesamlphp` | Packagist | All versions | 1.18.4 |

Products: Simplesamlphp Simplesamlphp.

## How do I fix CVE-2020-5225?

Upgrade simplesamlphp/simplesamlphp to 1.18.4 or later.

## Is CVE-2020-5225 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-5225 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in SimpleSAMLphp

- [CVE-2017-12868](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-12868/): SimpleSAMLphp Session fixation issue and authentication bypass in the authcrypt module (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2018-7644](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-7644/): SimpleSAMLphp Improper Verification of Cryptographic Signature (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2026-49284](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-49284/): SimpleSAMLphp SP accepts a response from an unexpected IdP when unsigned `Response/InResponseTo` is combined with a signed assertion lacking `SubjectConfirmationData/InResponseTo` (high 7.1)
- [CVE-2018-6520](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-6520/): SimpleSAMLphp Open redirection protection bypass (medium 6.1)
- [CVE-2017-12870](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-12870/): SimpleSAMLphp Unauthenticated encryption in CBC mode (medium 5.9)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2020-5225 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2020-5225 is a medium-severity vulnerability in SimpleSAMLphp, published on 24 Jan 2020. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-5225 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- simplesamlphp/simplesamlphp (Packagist): affected all versions; fixed in 1.18.4
- simplesamlphp/simplesamlphp (Packagist): affected all versions; fixed in 1.18.4

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-2020-5225/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-5225/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-5225
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-5225
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2020-5225

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-5225/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.