Summary
Zend-JSON vulnerable to XXE/XEE attacks
Numerous components utilizing PHP's DOMDocument, SimpleXML, and xml_parse functionality are vulnerable to two types of attacks:
- XML eXternal Entity (XXE) Injection attacks. The above mentioned extensions are insecure by default, allowing external entities to be specified by adding a specific DOCTYPE element to XML documents and strings. By exploiting this vulnerability an application may be coerced to open arbitrary files and/or TCP connections.
- XML Entity Expansion (XEE) vectors, leading to Denial of Service vectors. XEE attacks occur when the XML DOCTYPE declaration includes XML entity definitions that contain either recursive or circular references; this leads to CPU and memory consumption, making Denial of Service exploits trivial to implement.
Impact
An XML parser processes external entity references in untrusted input, causing the server to fetch internal resources or remote URLs. Typical impact: local file disclosure, server-side request forgery, or denial of service.
GHSA-8X2V-PCG7-94F4 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 (2.1.6, 2.2.6); 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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See it in your environmentNew to Kodem? Get a demo →Remediation advice
zendframework/zend-json to 2.1.6 or later; zendframework/zend-json to 2.2.6 or later
Kodem Kai can prioritize this vulnerability in your dependency tree and generate a fix recommendation.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is GHSA-8X2V-PCG7-94F4? GHSA-8X2V-PCG7-94F4 is a critical-severity XML external entity injection (XXE) vulnerability in zendframework/zend-json (composer), affecting versions >= 2.1.0, < 2.1.6. It is fixed in 2.1.6, 2.2.6. An XML parser processes external entity references in untrusted input, causing the server to fetch internal resources or remote URLs.
- How severe is GHSA-8X2V-PCG7-94F4? GHSA-8X2V-PCG7-94F4 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/zend-json are affected by GHSA-8X2V-PCG7-94F4? zendframework/zend-json (composer) versions >= 2.1.0, < 2.1.6 is affected.
- Is there a fix for GHSA-8X2V-PCG7-94F4? Yes. GHSA-8X2V-PCG7-94F4 is fixed in 2.1.6, 2.2.6. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is GHSA-8X2V-PCG7-94F4 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether GHSA-8X2V-PCG7-94F4 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-8X2V-PCG7-94F4 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-8X2V-PCG7-94F4?
- Upgrade
zendframework/zend-jsonto 2.1.6 or later - Upgrade
zendframework/zend-jsonto 2.2.6 or later
- Upgrade