# CVE-2023-6654: PHPEMS Session Data session.cls.php deserialization

> Remote attackers can exploit unsafe deserialization in PHPEMS session handling to potentially execute arbitrary code.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.3 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 10 Dec 2023
- **Updated:** 28 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-5rv2-vvmf-f7w8

## What is CVE-2023-6654?

CVE-2023-6654 is a medium-severity unsafe deserialization vulnerability in PHPEMS, published on 10 Dec 2023. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

A vulnerability classified as critical was found in PHPEMS 6.x/7.x/8.x/9.0. Affected by this vulnerability is an unknown functionality in the library lib/session.cls.php of the component Session Data Handler. The manipulation leads to deserialization. The attack can be launched remotely. The exploit has been disclosed to the public and may be used. The identifier VDB-247357 was assigned to this vulnerability.

Weakness: CWE-502 (Deserialization of Untrusted Data)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-6654?

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


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `phpems/phpems` | Packagist | From 6.0.0 to 6.1.3 | None |
| `phpems/phpems` | Packagist | From 6.0.0 to 6.1.3 | None |

Products: Phpems Phpems.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-6654?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-6654 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2023-6654 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-6654 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Public exploit code:

- CVE-2023-6654 EXP (github_poc): https://github.com/qfmy1024/CVE-2023-6654

## Other vulnerabilities in PHPEMS

- [CVE-2025-15244](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-15244/): PHPEMS Purchase Request race condition (medium 6.3)
- [CVE-2024-1353](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-1353/): PHPEMS index.api.php index deserialization (medium 6.3)
- [CVE-2025-15405](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-15405/): PHPEMS cross-site request forgery (medium 5.3)
- [CVE-2023-6472](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-6472/): PHPEMS Content Section api.cls.php cross site scripting (low 2.4)
- [CVE-2025-15242](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-15242/): PHPEMS Coupon race condition (low 2.3)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-6654 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-6654 is a medium-severity unsafe deserialization vulnerability in PHPEMS, published on 10 Dec 2023. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-6654 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- phpems/phpems (Packagist): affected from 6.0.0 up to 6.1.3; no fix listed
- phpems/phpems (Packagist): affected from 6.0.0 up to 6.1.3; no fix listed

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-2023-6654/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-6654/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-6654
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-6654
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-6654

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-6654/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.