Summary
PHPMailer Local file inclusion
Workarounds
Filter and validate user-supplied data before use.
References
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2006-5734
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2007-3215
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2007-2021
Example exploit: https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/14893
For more information
If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:
- Open a private issue in the PHPMailer project
Impact
Arbitrary local file inclusion via the $lang property, remotely exploitable if host application passes unfiltered user data into that property. The 3 CVEs listed are applications that used PHPMailer that were vulnerable to this problem.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
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It's not known exactly when this was fixed in the host applications, but it was fixed in PHPMailer 5.2.0.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2006-5734? CVE-2006-5734 is a medium-severity security vulnerability in phpmailer/phpmailer (composer), affecting versions < 5.2.0. It is fixed in 5.2.0.
- Which versions of phpmailer/phpmailer are affected by CVE-2006-5734? phpmailer/phpmailer (composer) versions < 5.2.0 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2006-5734? Yes. CVE-2006-5734 is fixed in 5.2.0. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2006-5734 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2006-5734 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
- What actually determines whether CVE-2006-5734 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
- How do I fix CVE-2006-5734? Upgrade
phpmailer/phpmailerto 5.2.0 or later.