In PHP versions 8.4.* before 8.4.21 and 8.5.* before 8.5.6, when an encoding name containing an embedded NUL byte is passed to mb_convert_encoding() or related mbstring functions, the code incorrectly assumes that when strncasecmp() returns 0 it means the strings have the same length. This can lead to out-of-bounds read of global memory, potentially causing a crash or information disclosure or crash. Affected functions include mb_convert_encoding(), mb_detect_encoding(), mb_convert_variables(), and mb_detect_order(), as well as the mbstring.detect_order and mbstring.http_output INI settings.
https://github.com/php/php-src/security/advisories/GHSA-74r9-qxhc-fx53
Published: 2026-05-10
Updated: 2026-05-12
Base Score: 9.4
Vector: CVSS2#AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:N/A:C
Severity: High
Base Score: 9.1
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H
Severity: Critical
Base Score: 6.3
Vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:L/VI:N/VA:L/SC:L/SI:N/SA:L
Severity: Medium
EPSS: 0.00014