Summary
ZendXml and Zend Framework contain XXE and XEE Vulnerabilities
The Zend_Xml_Security::scan in ZendXml before 1.0.1 and Zend Framework before 1.12.14, 2.x before 2.4.6, and 2.5.x before 2.5.2, when running under PHP-FPM in a threaded environment, allows remote attackers to bypass security checks and conduct XML external entity (XXE) and XML entity expansion (XEE) attacks via multibyte encoded characters.
Impact
An XML parser processes external entity references in untrusted input, causing the server to fetch internal resources or remote URLs. Typical impact: local file disclosure, server-side request forgery, or denial of service.
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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zendframework/zendframework to 2.4.6 or later; zendframework/zendframework to 2.5.2 or later; zendframework/zendframework1 to 1.12.14 or later; zendframework/zendxml to 1.0.1 or later; zendframework/zendframework to 1.12.14 or later
Kodem Kai can prioritize this vulnerability in your dependency tree and generate a fix recommendation.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2015-5161? CVE-2015-5161 is a medium-severity XML external entity injection (XXE) vulnerability in zendframework/zendframework (composer), affecting versions >= 2.0.0, < 2.4.6. It is fixed in 2.4.6, 2.5.2, 1.12.14, 1.0.1. An XML parser processes external entity references in untrusted input, causing the server to fetch internal resources or remote URLs.
- Which packages are affected by CVE-2015-5161?
zendframework/zendframework(composer) (versions >= 2.0.0, < 2.4.6)zendframework/zendframework1(composer) (versions >= 1.12.0, < 1.12.14)zendframework/zendxml(composer) (versions >= 1.0.0, < 1.0.1)
- Is there a fix for CVE-2015-5161? Yes. CVE-2015-5161 is fixed in 2.4.6, 2.5.2, 1.12.14, 1.0.1. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2015-5161 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2015-5161 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-2015-5161 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-2015-5161?
- Upgrade
zendframework/zendframeworkto 2.4.6 or later - Upgrade
zendframework/zendframeworkto 2.5.2 or later - Upgrade
zendframework/zendframework1to 1.12.14 or later - Upgrade
zendframework/zendxmlto 1.0.1 or later - Upgrade
zendframework/zendframeworkto 1.12.14 or later
- Upgrade