The popen API function in TSRM/tsrm_win32.c in PHP before 5.2.11 and 5.3.x before 5.3.1, when running on certain Windows operating systems, allows context-dependent attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) via a crafted (1) "e" or (2) "er" string in the second argument (aka mode), possibly related to the _fdopen function in the Microsoft C runtime library
Published Sep 22, 2009
5.0
MEDIUMCVSS 2.0
EPSS 2.73%
Description
The popen API function in TSRM/tsrm_win32.c in PHP before 5.2.11 and 5.3.x before 5.3.1, when running on certain Windows operating systems, allows context-dependent attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) via a crafted (1) "e" or (2) "er" string in the second argument (aka mode), possibly related to the _fdopen function in the Microsoft C runtime library. NOTE: this might not cross privilege boundaries except in rare cases in which the mode argument is accessible to an attacker outside of an application that uses the popen function.
Affected products
No data.
Running on/with
- n/a
- n/a
- n/a
No data.
No Red Hat product state for this CVE.
No package ranges for this CVE.
Remediation
Red Hat statement
Not vulnerable. This issue did not affect the versions of php as shipped with Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3, 4, or 5, and Red Hat Application Stack v2.
Metrics
No CVSS v4.0 score for this CVE.
No CVSS v3.1 score for this CVE.
No CVSS v3.0 score for this CVE.
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:P
This CVE is not in the KEV list.
No CISA SSVC assessment for this CVE yet.
Estimated probability of exploitation in the wild in the next 30 days (FIRST EPSS). As of Oct 1, 2026.
Score over time
2022–2026- EPSS v2
- EPSS v3
- EPSS v4
- EPSS v5
Percentile over time
- EPSS v2
- EPSS v3
- EPSS v4
- EPSS v5
Table of values (12 key points)
Flat stretches are collapsed; showing up to 120 newest points.
| Date | Score | Percentile | Model |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1, 2026 | 2.73% (0.02731) | 85.58th | v5 (v2026.06.15) |
| Jun 15, 2026 | 2.73% (0.02731) | 84.11th | v5 (v2026.06.15) |
| Mar 30, 2025 | 1.15% (0.01145) | 76.52th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Mar 29, 2025 | 2.32% (0.02316) | 74.60th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Mar 17, 2025 | 1.15% (0.01145) | 76.98th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Dec 12, 2024 | 1.53% (0.01527) | 87.57th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| May 8, 2024 | 1.53% (0.01527) | 86.97th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Mar 7, 2023 | 1.53% (0.01527) | 84.97th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Mar 6, 2023 | 1.54% (0.01537) | 74.52th | v2 (v2022.01.01) |
| Feb 23, 2023 | 1.54% (0.01537) | 74.48th | v2 (v2022.01.01) |
| Apr 1, 2022 | 1.54% (0.01537) | 72.41th | v2 (v2022.01.01) |
| Feb 4, 2022 | 1.54% (0.01537) | 51.33th | v2 (v2022.01.01) |
References (14)
- http://bugs.php.net/bug.php?id=44683 x_refsource_CONFIRMExploitVendor Advisory
- http://news.php.net/php.announce/79 mailing-listx_refsource_MLISTVendor Advisory
- http://svn.php.net/viewvc?view=revision&revision=287779 x_refsource_CONFIRMVendor Advisory
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2009/09/20/1 mailing-listx_refsource_MLISTMailing ListPatch
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2009/11/20/2 mailing-listx_refsource_MLISTMailing List
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2009/11/20/3 mailing-listx_refsource_MLISTMailing List
- http://www.osvdb.org/58188 vdb-entryx_refsource_OSVDBBroken Link
- http://www.php.net/ChangeLog-5.php x_refsource_CONFIRMVendor Advisory
- http://www.php.net/ChangeLog-5.php#5.2.11 x_refsource_CONFIRMVendor Advisory
- http://www.php.net/releases/5_2_11.php x_refsource_CONFIRMPatchVendor Advisory
- http://www.php.net/releases/5_3_1.php x_refsource_CONFIRMVendor Advisory
- https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2009-3294 Vendor Advisory
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2009-3294
- https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2009-3294
Change history (0)
No recorded changes yet.