CVE-2016-10033 KEV EXPLOIT
9.8
CRITICAL · CVSS 3.1 · EPSS 99.7% (pctl 100)
Patch first
On CISA KEV — known exploited in the wild, due 2025-07-28.
Description
The mailSend function in the 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.
Scoring
| CVSS | 9.8 (CRITICAL, v3.1) |
|---|---|
| Vector | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |
| EPSS | 99.71% — more likely to be exploited than 100% of all CVEs |
| Weakness | CWE-88 |
| On CISA KEV | yes — remediate by 2025-07-28 |
| Public exploit | yes |
| Published | 2016-12-30 |
| Last modified | 2026-06-17 |
CISA KEV
| Name | PHPMailer Command Injection Vulnerability |
|---|---|
| Added | 2025-07-07 |
| Due | 2025-07-28 |
| Vendor / product | PHP / PHPMailer |
| Ransomware use | none reported |
Affected (3)
| Vendor | Product |
|---|---|
| joomla | joomla\! |
| phpmailer project | phpmailer |
| wordpress | wordpress |
Public exploits
| Source | Title | Date |
|---|---|---|
| exploit-db | PHPMailer < 5.2.20 with Exim MTA - Remote Code Execution | 2017-06-21 |
| exploit-db | WordPress Plugin PHPMailer 4.6 - Host Header Command Injection (Metasploit) | 2017-05-17 |
| exploit-db | Vanilla Forums < 2.3 - Remote Code Execution | 2017-05-11 |
| exploit-db | WordPress Core 4.6 - Remote Code Execution | 2017-05-03 |
| exploit-db | PHPMailer < 5.2.20 / SwiftMailer < 5.4.5-DEV / Zend Framework / zend-mail < 2.4.11 - 'AIO' 'PwnScriptum' Remote Code Execution | 2017-01-02 |
| exploit-db | PHPMailer < 5.2.18 - Remote Code Execution | 2016-12-29 |
| exploit-db | PHPMailer < 5.2.20 - Remote Code Execution | 2016-12-27 |
| exploit-db | PHPMailer < 5.2.18 - Remote Code Execution | 2016-12-26 |
| exploit-db | PHPMailer < 5.2.18 - Remote Code Execution | 2016-12-25 |
References
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/140291/PHPMailer-Remote-Code-Execution.html
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/140350/PHPMailer-Sendmail-Argument-Injection.html
- http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2016/Dec/78
- http://www.rapid7.com/db/modules/exploit/multi/http/phpmailer_arg_injection
- http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/539963/100/0/threaded
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/95108
- http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1037533
- https://developer.joomla.org/security-centre/668-20161205-phpmailer-security-advisory.html
- https://github.com/PHPMailer/PHPMailer/releases/tag/v5.2.18
- https://github.com/PHPMailer/PHPMailer/wiki/About-the-CVE-2016-10033-and-CVE-2016-10045-vulnerabilities
- https://legalhackers.com/advisories/PHPMailer-Exploit-Remote-Code-Exec-CVE-2016-10033-Vuln.html
- https://www.drupal.org/psa-2016-004
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/40968/
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/40969/
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/40970/
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/40974/
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/40986/
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/41962/
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/41996/
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/42024/
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