Summary
Zendframework Potential Information Disclosure and Insufficient Entropy vulnerability
In Zend Framework, Zend_Captcha_Word (v1) and Zend\Captcha\Word (v2) generate a "word" for a CAPTCHA challenge by selecting a sequence of random letters from a character set. Prior to this advisory, the selection was performed using PHP's internal array_rand() function. This function does not generate sufficient entropy due to its usage of rand() instead of more cryptographically secure methods such as openssl_pseudo_random_bytes(). This could potentially lead to information disclosure should an attacker be able to brute force the random number generation.
Impact
GHSA-848F-MPH5-9PM9 has a CVSS score of 7.5 (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 (1.12.17); 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-848F-MPH5-9PM9? GHSA-848F-MPH5-9PM9 is a high-severity security vulnerability in zendframework/zendframework1 (composer), affecting versions >= 1.12.0, < 1.12.17. It is fixed in 1.12.17.
- How severe is GHSA-848F-MPH5-9PM9? GHSA-848F-MPH5-9PM9 has a CVSS score of 7.5 (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 versions of zendframework/zendframework1 are affected by GHSA-848F-MPH5-9PM9? zendframework/zendframework1 (composer) versions >= 1.12.0, < 1.12.17 is affected.
- Is there a fix for GHSA-848F-MPH5-9PM9? Yes. GHSA-848F-MPH5-9PM9 is fixed in 1.12.17. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is GHSA-848F-MPH5-9PM9 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether GHSA-848F-MPH5-9PM9 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-848F-MPH5-9PM9 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-848F-MPH5-9PM9? Upgrade
zendframework/zendframework1to 1.12.17 or later.