What is CVE-2017-16790?

CVE-2017-16790 is a medium-severity improper input validation vulnerability in symfony/form (composer), affecting versions >= 2.7.0, < 2.7.38. It is fixed in 2.7.38, 2.8.31, 3.2.14, 3.3.13. The application does not adequately validate input before processing it, allowing unexpected values to reach sensitive code paths.

How severe is CVE-2017-16790?

CVE-2017-16790 has a CVSS score of 6.5 (Medium). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.

Which packages are affected by CVE-2017-16790?

symfony/form (composer) versions >= 2.7.0, = 2.7.0, < 2.7.38.

Is there a fix for CVE-2017-16790?

Yes. CVE-2017-16790 is fixed in 2.7.38, 2.8.31, 3.2.14, 3.3.13. Upgrade to this version or later.

Is CVE-2017-16790 exploitable, and should I be worried?

Whether CVE-2017-16790 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.

What actually determines whether CVE-2017-16790 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.

CVE-2017-16790 in symfony/form

Q: How severe is CVE-2017-16790?

CVE-2017-16790 has a CVSS score of 6.5 (Medium). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.

Q: Which packages are affected by CVE-2017-16790?

symfony/form (composer) versions >= 2.7.0, = 2.7.0, < 2.7.38.

Q: Is there a fix for CVE-2017-16790?

Yes. CVE-2017-16790 is fixed in 2.7.38, 2.8.31, 3.2.14, 3.3.13. Upgrade to this version or later.

Q: Is CVE-2017-16790 exploitable, and should I be worried?

Whether CVE-2017-16790 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.

Q: What actually determines whether CVE-2017-16790 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.

Q: How do I fix CVE-2017-16790?

Upgrade: symfony/form to 2.7.38 or later, symfony/form to 2.8.31 or later, symfony/form to 3.2.14 or later, symfony/form to 3.3.13 or later, symfony/symfony to 2.7.38 or later, symfony/symfony to 2.8.31 or later, symfony/symfony to 3.2.14 or later, symfony/symfony to 3.3.13 or later.

Summary

Symfony SSRF Vulnerability via Form Component

An issue was discovered in Symfony before 2.7.38, 2.8.31, 3.2.14, 3.3.13, 3.4-BETA5, and 4.0-BETA5. When a form is submitted by the user, the request handler classes of the Form component merge POST data and uploaded files data into one array. This big array forms the data that are then bound to the form. At this stage there is no difference anymore between submitted POST data and uploaded files. A user can send a crafted HTTP request where the value of a "FileType" is sent as normal POST data that could be interpreted as a local file path on the server-side (for example, "file:///etc/passwd"). If the application did not perform any additional checks about the value submitted to the "FileType", the contents of the given file on the server could have been exposed to the attacker.

Impact

The application does not adequately validate input before processing it, allowing unexpected values to reach sensitive code paths. Typical impact: varies by context: data corruption, logic bypass, or denial of service.

CVE-2017-16790 has a CVSS score of 6.5 (Medium). The vector is network-reachable, low privileges required, and no user interaction. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (2.7.38, 2.8.31, 3.2.14, 3.3.13); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Affected versions

symfony/form (>= 2.7.0, < 2.7.38) symfony/form (>= 2.8.0, < 2.8.31) symfony/form (>= 3.0.0, < 3.2.14) symfony/form (>= 3.3.0, < 3.3.13) symfony/symfony (>= 2.7.0, < 2.7.38) symfony/symfony (>= 2.8.0, < 2.8.31) symfony/symfony (>= 3.0.0, < 3.2.14) symfony/symfony (>= 3.3.0, < 3.3.13)

Security releases

symfony/form → 2.7.38 (composer) symfony/form → 2.8.31 (composer) symfony/form → 3.2.14 (composer) symfony/form → 3.3.13 (composer) symfony/symfony → 2.7.38 (composer) symfony/symfony → 2.8.31 (composer) symfony/symfony → 3.2.14 (composer) symfony/symfony → 3.3.13 (composer)

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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Remediation advice

Upgrade the following packages to resolve this vulnerability:

symfony/form to 2.7.38 or later; symfony/form to 2.8.31 or later; symfony/form to 3.2.14 or later; symfony/form to 3.3.13 or later; symfony/symfony to 2.7.38 or later; symfony/symfony to 2.8.31 or later; symfony/symfony to 3.2.14 or later; symfony/symfony to 3.3.13 or later

Kodem Kai can prioritize this vulnerability in your dependency tree and generate a fix recommendation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2017-16790? CVE-2017-16790 is a medium-severity improper input validation vulnerability in symfony/form (composer), affecting versions >= 2.7.0, < 2.7.38. It is fixed in 2.7.38, 2.8.31, 3.2.14, 3.3.13. The application does not adequately validate input before processing it, allowing unexpected values to reach sensitive code paths.
How severe is CVE-2017-16790? CVE-2017-16790 has a CVSS score of 6.5 (Medium). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
Which packages are affected by CVE-2017-16790?
- symfony/form (composer) (versions >= 2.7.0, < 2.7.38)
- symfony/symfony (composer) (versions >= 2.7.0, < 2.7.38)
Is there a fix for CVE-2017-16790? Yes. CVE-2017-16790 is fixed in 2.7.38, 2.8.31, 3.2.14, 3.3.13. Upgrade to this version or later.
Is CVE-2017-16790 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2017-16790 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-2017-16790 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-2017-16790?
- Upgrade symfony/form to 2.7.38 or later
- Upgrade symfony/form to 2.8.31 or later
- Upgrade symfony/form to 3.2.14 or later
- Upgrade symfony/form to 3.3.13 or later
- Upgrade symfony/symfony to 2.7.38 or later
- Upgrade symfony/symfony to 2.8.31 or later
- Upgrade symfony/symfony to 3.2.14 or later
- Upgrade symfony/symfony to 3.3.13 or later

Other vulnerabilities in symfony/form

CVE-IDSeverityPackage summary

CVE-2015-8125Highsymfony/symfony: Symfony Vulnerable to Timing Attack CVE-2018-19789Mediumsymfony/symfony: Symfony Path Disclosure