Summary
Carbon has an arbitrary file include via unvalidated input passed to Carbon::setLocale
Workarounds
Any of the below actions can be taken to prevent the issue:
- Validate input before calling
setLocale(), for instance by forbidding or removing/and\ - Call
setLocale()only with a locale from a whitelist of supported locales - When uploading files, rename them so they cannot have a
.phpextension (this is recommended even if you're not affected by this issue) - Prefer storage system that are not local to the application (remote service, or local service ran by another user so the uploaded files actually live outside of the application basedir)
References
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File_inclusion_vulnerability
Credits
Thanks to Szczepan Hołyszewski who reported the issue and to Tidelift to coordinate the resolution
Impact
Application passing unsanitized user input to Carbon::setLocale are at risk of arbitrary file include, if the application allows users to upload files with .php extension in an folder that allows include or require to read it, then they are at risk of arbitrary code ran on their servers.
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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Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2025-22145? CVE-2025-22145 is a medium-severity security vulnerability in nesbot/carbon (composer), affecting versions >= 3.0.0, < 3.8.4. It is fixed in 3.8.4, 2.72.6.
- Which versions of nesbot/carbon are affected by CVE-2025-22145? nesbot/carbon (composer) versions >= 3.0.0, < 3.8.4 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2025-22145? Yes. CVE-2025-22145 is fixed in 3.8.4, 2.72.6. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2025-22145 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2025-22145 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-2025-22145 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-2025-22145?
- Upgrade
nesbot/carbonto 3.8.4 or later - Upgrade
nesbot/carbonto 2.72.6 or later
- Upgrade