Summary
Information disclosure of source code in SimpleSAMLphp
Background
The module controller in SimpleSAML\Module that processes requests for pages
hosted by modules, has code to identify paths ending with .php and process
those as PHP code. If no other suitable way of handling the given path exists it
presents the file to the browser.
Description
The check to identify paths ending with .php does not account for uppercase
letters. If someone requests a path ending with e.g. .PHP and the server is
serving the code from a case-insensitive file system, such as on Windows, the
processing of the PHP code does not occur, and the source code is instead
presented to the browser.
Affected versions
SimpleSAMLphp versions 1.18.5 and older.
Resolution
Upgrade the SimpleSAMLphp installation to version 1.18.6.
Credit
This vulnerability was discovered and reported by Sławek Naczyński.
Impact
An attacker may use this issue to gain access to the source code in third-party
modules that is meant to be private, or even sensitive. However, the attack
surface is considered small, as the attack will only work when SimpleSAMLphp
serves such content from a file system that is not case-sensitive, such as on
Windows.
CVE-2020-5301 has a CVSS score of 3.0 (Low). The vector is network-reachable, low privileges required, and user interaction required. 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 (1.18.6); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.
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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Kodem Kai can prioritize this vulnerability in your dependency tree and generate a fix recommendation.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2020-5301? CVE-2020-5301 is a low-severity security vulnerability in simplesamlphp/simplesamlphp (composer), affecting versions < 1.18.6. It is fixed in 1.18.6.
- How severe is CVE-2020-5301? CVE-2020-5301 has a CVSS score of 3.0 (Low). 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 versions of simplesamlphp/simplesamlphp are affected by CVE-2020-5301? simplesamlphp/simplesamlphp (composer) versions < 1.18.6 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2020-5301? Yes. CVE-2020-5301 is fixed in 1.18.6. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2020-5301 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2020-5301 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-2020-5301 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-2020-5301? Upgrade
simplesamlphp/simplesamlphpto 1.18.6 or later.