CVE-2016-10045
The isMail transport in PHPMailer before 5.2.20 might allow remote attackers to pass extra parameters to the mail command and consequently…
- Published
- Updated
- Reserved
- Assigned by
- mitre
Description
The isMail transport in PHPMailer before 5.2.20 might allow remote attackers to pass extra parameters to the mail command and consequently execute arbitrary code by leveraging improper interaction between the escapeshellarg function and internal escaping performed in the mail function in PHP. NOTE: this vulnerability exists because of an incorrect fix for CVE-2016-10033.
Public exploit
3 references of the record are tagged as an exploit or proof of concept: anyone can try it against an unpatched system.
- 42221 (opens in a new tab)exploitx_refsource_EXPLOIT-DBx_transferred
- 40969 (opens in a new tab)exploitx_refsource_EXPLOIT-DBx_transferred
- 40986 (opens in a new tab)exploitx_refsource_EXPLOIT-DBx_transferred
Timeline
ID reserved
By mitre
- 4 days later
· 4 days later
Published
- 8 years later
· 8 years later
Record updated
Changes after publication (a new score, a public exploit, EPSS crossing 1, 10 or 50 %, leaving KEV) are kept since November 2026; earlier ones are not known.
Scores
| Scored by | CVSS | Score | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|
| NVDNVD · Modified | 3.1 | Critical9.8 | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |
- EPSS (exploitation in 30 days)
- 97.7% · top 0.1% of all CVEs (8 Nov 2026)
The list uses the assigner's score when there is one, then CISA's, then NVD's: Critical 9.8.
Weakness
Affected products
n/a
- affected n/a
Affected packages
From reviewed advisories of the GitHub Advisory Database.
- Packagistphpmailer/phpmailerGHSA-4pc3-96mx-wwc8 (opens in a new tab)
References (15)
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/140286/PHPMailer-Remote-Code-Execution.html (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/140350/PHPMailer-Sendmail-Argument-Injection.html (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
- 42221 (opens in a new tab)exploitx_refsource_EXPLOIT-DBx_transferred
- 40969 (opens in a new tab)exploitx_refsource_EXPLOIT-DBx_transferred
- 20161228 PHPMailer < 5.2.20 Remote Code Execution PoC 0day Exploit (CVE-2016-10045) (Bypass of the CVE-2016-1033 patch) (opens in a new tab)mailing-listx_refsource_BUGTRAQx_transferred
- [oss-security] 20161228 Re: PHPMailer < 5.2.18 Remote Code Execution [updated advisory] [CVE-2016-10033] (opens in a new tab)mailing-listx_refsource_MLISTx_transferred
- https://github.com/PHPMailer/PHPMailer/wiki/About-the-CVE-2016-10033-and-CVE-2016-10045-vulnerabilities (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMx_transferred
- https://github.com/PHPMailer/PHPMailer/releases/tag/v5.2.20 (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMx_transferred
- 40986 (opens in a new tab)exploitx_refsource_EXPLOIT-DBx_transferred
- http://www.rapid7.com/db/modules/exploit/multi/http/phpmailer_arg_injection (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
- 95130 (opens in a new tab)vdb-entryx_refsource_BIDx_transferred
- https://legalhackers.com/advisories/PHPMailer-Exploit-Remote-Code-Exec-CVE-2016-10045-Vuln-Patch-Bypass.html (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
- 20161227 PHPMailer < 5.2.20 Remote Code Execution PoC 0day Exploit (CVE-2016-10045) (Bypass of the CVE-2016-1033 patch) (opens in a new tab)mailing-listx_refsource_FULLDISCx_transferred
- 1037533 (opens in a new tab)vdb-entryx_refsource_SECTRACKx_transferred
- https://developer.joomla.org/security-centre/668-20161205-phpmailer-security-advisory.html (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMx_transferred
Sources
The same CVE in the primary databases and aggregators, to check against.
- CVE.org record (opens in a new tab)
- CVE List JSON (GitHub) (opens in a new tab)
- NVD (opens in a new tab)
- FIRST EPSS (opens in a new tab)
- OSV.dev (opens in a new tab)
- GitHub Advisory GHSA-4pc3-96mx-wwc8 (opens in a new tab)
- CIRCL Vulnerability-Lookup (opens in a new tab)
Badge for a README or a ticket
[](https://cveledger.app/cve/CVE-2016-10045)Record last updated .