Summary
The SimpleSAMLphp SAML2 library incorrectly verifies signatures for HTTP-Redirect binding
There's a signature confusion attack in the HTTPRedirect binding. An attacker with any signed SAMLResponse via the HTTP-Redirect binding can cause the application to accept an unsigned message.
I believe that it exists for v4 only. I have not yet developed a PoC.
V5 is well designed and instead builds the signed query from the same message that will be consumed.
Details
What is verified
The data['SignedQuery'] is the string that will be verified by the public key.
It is defined here:
https://github.com/simplesamlphp/saml2/blob/9545abd0d9d48388f2fa00469c5c1e0294f0303e/src/SAML2/HTTPRedirect.php#L178-L217
THe code will iterate through each parameter name. Notably, sigQuery is overridden each time when processing, making the last of SAMLRequest/SAMLResponse used for sigQuery.
For example, given:
SAMLRequest=a&SAMLResponse=idpsigned
SAMLResponse=idpsigned will be set as sigQuery, then later verified
What is actually processed
Processing uses SAMLRequest parameter value first, (if it exists) then SAMLResponse:
Given this, the contents that are processed might not be the same as the data that is actually verified.
Exploiting
Suppose an attacker has a signed HTTP Redirect binding from IdP, say a signed logout response. :
SAMLResponse=idpsigned&RelayState=...&SigAlg=...&Signature
Then an attacker can append SAMLRequest in front:
SAMLRequest=unverifieddata&SAMLResponse=idpsigned&RelayState=...&SigAlg=...&Signature=..
SimpleSAMLPhp will only verify the SAMLResponse, but will actually use the SAMLRequest contents. The impact here is increased because there's no checks that SAMLRequest actually contains a Request, it could instead contain an Response, which allows the attacker to effectively impersonate any user within the SP.
IdPs
Microsoft Azure AD/Entra (and likely ADFS) signs the LogoutResponse via this SimpleSign format in HTTP Redirect binding. If an attacker logs out of Entra, they will be able to extract a valid Signature.
Attached is an HTTP Request when an I initiated a SLO request from the service provider to the IdP (entra). Then IdP POSTed this SAMLResponse with HTTP Redirect binding signature, via the user browser to the SP. It should be possible to carry out the described attack with this.
https://webhook.site/c6038292-6ef5-46ac-973d-d7c25520ec48/logout?SAMLResponse=fVJNa%2bMwEP0rRndZtmw5tnAMy%2fYSaC9N6aGXIsmjVMTRGI9M%2bvObdeihsPQ4w7x5HzM9mcs060c84ZqegWaMBNnhYc%2fejS1UW1TAnVU7XldK8s7JkcvOd60Db3zTsewVFgoY90zmBcsORCscIiUT061VyJqXJS%2fbl7LRUmrZ5mXdvLHsASiFaNKG%2fEhpJi3EFewH4jmnkEC4pqha2UnegFe8bozj3a4a%2bbhzUilZgKtbMW2yb7TxW%2foL7lkM9hTC2XnEOPvZXjDECb2N1lh7mvBsp%2bnsErDs8zJF0lsEe7YuUaOhQDqaC5BOTh%2f%2fPD3qmzE9L5jQ4cSGfrO43KG%2fgwwRLP8ssuHbIiXKryGOeKU8QhLSVN7WteejV8Bru%2bt4WynFbwE3bdVV5ahG0Ys759Dfj3VMJq30s%2fqLI2SvZlrhd020Tevj6hwQMTH04udS8b%2bHGL4A&Signature=Z%2f7gIPv7Gkgvqtwo0bzgXyum9IjHMfP0zTYuNbl%2fBUGlQ%2fU%2bbOZGZJ6Rk9wLUyvNQ5XlZRxZrfESNA%2bn0CVyIedsg9GxQKTi7VqPTJFJqEIP1BZaEpYYP3%2f6sFfLxfTMKecJoQdxnDE5Malte1hMj2UujWnLXOnp0CgO%2f%2fU2K52SoGckIzNDRB%2fJ6%2fysTn%2bDjBrmgdro%2fgdTyby9%2f3vm8dzY8pUkRCgMjlimShrZxr5U33wQvwPLIXlDgActr91RUtWKE0k8sy%2brshrK9DKLPo8AdTLk7NYhjSWdF7OG7uqgEeEo470tacqQuA09E0qDh8CWS%2bycLJijiGYWVyQa4Q%3d%3d&SigAlg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.w3.org%2f2001%2f04%2fxmldsig-more%23rsa-sha256
Impact
CVE-2025-27773 has a CVSS score of 8.6 (High). The vector is network-reachable, no 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 (5.0.0-alpha.20, 4.17.0); 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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simplesamlphp/saml2 to 5.0.0-alpha.20 or later; simplesamlphp/saml2 to 4.17.0 or later; simplesamlphp/saml2-legacy to 4.17.0 or later
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Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2025-27773? CVE-2025-27773 is a high-severity security vulnerability in simplesamlphp/saml2 (composer), affecting versions >= 5.0.0-alpha.1, <= 5.0.0-alpha.19. It is fixed in 5.0.0-alpha.20, 4.17.0.
- How severe is CVE-2025-27773? CVE-2025-27773 has a CVSS score of 8.6 (High). 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-2025-27773?
simplesamlphp/saml2(composer) (versions >= 5.0.0-alpha.1, <= 5.0.0-alpha.19)simplesamlphp/saml2-legacy(composer) (versions <= 4.16.15)
- Is there a fix for CVE-2025-27773? Yes. CVE-2025-27773 is fixed in 5.0.0-alpha.20, 4.17.0. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2025-27773 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2025-27773 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-2025-27773 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-2025-27773?
- Upgrade
simplesamlphp/saml2to 5.0.0-alpha.20 or later - Upgrade
simplesamlphp/saml2to 4.17.0 or later - Upgrade
simplesamlphp/saml2-legacyto 4.17.0 or later
- Upgrade