Summary
ZendFramework1 Potential SQL injection in the ORDER implementation of ZendDbSelect
The implementation of the ORDER BY SQL statement in Zend_Db_Select of Zend Framework 1 contains a potential SQL injection when the query string passed contains parentheses.
For instance, the following code is affected by this issue:
$db = Zend_Db::factory( /* options here */ );
$select = $db->select()
->from(array('p' => 'products'))
->order('MD5(1); drop table products');
echo $select;
This code produce the string:
SELECT "p".* FROM "products" AS "p" ORDER BY MD5(1);drop table products ASC
instead of the correct one:
SELECT "p".* FROM "products" AS "p" ORDER BY "MD5(1);drop table products" ASC
The SQL injection occurs because we create a new Zend_Db_Expr() object, in presence of parentheses, passing directly the value without any filter on the string.
Impact
Untrusted input alters a database query, allowing the attacker to read or modify data the query was not intended to access. Typical impact: data disclosure or modification.
GHSA-2X36-QHX3-7M5F has a CVSS score of 9.8 (Critical). 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 (1.12.7); 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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Frequently Asked Questions
- What is GHSA-2X36-QHX3-7M5F? GHSA-2X36-QHX3-7M5F is a critical-severity SQL injection vulnerability in zendframework/zendframework1 (composer), affecting versions >= 1.12.0, < 1.12.7. It is fixed in 1.12.7. Untrusted input alters a database query, allowing the attacker to read or modify data the query was not intended to access.
- How severe is GHSA-2X36-QHX3-7M5F? GHSA-2X36-QHX3-7M5F has a CVSS score of 9.8 (Critical). 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 zendframework/zendframework1 are affected by GHSA-2X36-QHX3-7M5F? zendframework/zendframework1 (composer) versions >= 1.12.0, < 1.12.7 is affected.
- Is there a fix for GHSA-2X36-QHX3-7M5F? Yes. GHSA-2X36-QHX3-7M5F is fixed in 1.12.7. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is GHSA-2X36-QHX3-7M5F exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether GHSA-2X36-QHX3-7M5F 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 GHSA-2X36-QHX3-7M5F 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 GHSA-2X36-QHX3-7M5F? Upgrade
zendframework/zendframework1to 1.12.7 or later.