PHP_CodeSniffer tokenizes PHP files and detects violations of a defined set of coding standards. Prior to versions 3.13.6 and 4.0.2, PHP_CodeSniffer contains a command injection vulnerability in the code that generates the Gitblame, Hgblame, and Svnblame report formats. As a result, running PHP_CodeSniffer over untrusted files, for example in a continuous integration pipeline that scans pull requests, or on a developer machine reviewing third party code, could result in attacker controlled shell commands being executed when the Gitblame, Hgblame, or Svnblame report processes a file whose name contains shell metacharacters. Users using the default Full report, or any of the other non-blame reports, are not affected. Users on a runtime platform which does not allow filenames to contain shell metacharacters, such as " and ;, are not affected. This issue is fixed in versions 3.13.6 and 4.0.2.
https://github.com/PHPCSStandards/PHP_CodeSniffer/security/advisories/GHSA-hmqg-cxww-wqhq
https://github.com/PHPCSStandards/PHP_CodeSniffer/releases/tag/4.0.2
https://github.com/PHPCSStandards/PHP_CodeSniffer/releases/tag/3.13.6
https://github.com/PHPCSStandards/PHP_CodeSniffer/pull/1473
https://github.com/PHPCSStandards/PHP_CodeSniffer/commit/f0e1ebb0563f0e5d7f190497a787bcaf8474f3fe
https://github.com/PHPCSStandards/PHP_CodeSniffer/commit/7a3a6bbf153a03fa3a9413afc60bded6b764e76b
Published: 2026-08-06
Updated: 2026-08-06
Base Score: 7.5
Vector: CVSS2#AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
Severity: High
Base Score: 9.8
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Severity: Critical
Base Score: 7.3
Vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:P/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
Severity: High