CVE-2026-24765PHPUnit Vulnerable to Unsafe Deserialization in PHPT Code Coverage Handling

Description

PHPUnit is a testing framework for PHP. A vulnerability has been discovered in versions prior to 12.5.8, 11.5.50, 10.5.62, 9.6.33, and 8.5.52 involving unsafe deserialization of code coverage data in PHPT test execution. The vulnerability exists in the `cleanupForCoverage()` method, which deserializes code coverage files without validation, potentially allowing remote code execution if malicious `.coverage` files are present prior to the execution of the PHPT test. The vulnerability occurs when a `.coverage` file, which should not exist before test execution, is deserialized without the `allowed_classes` parameter restriction. An attacker with local file write access can place a malicious serialized object with a `__wakeup()` method into the file system, leading to arbitrary code execution during test runs with code coverage instrumentation enabled. This vulnerability requires local file write access to the location where PHPUnit stores or expects code coverage files for PHPT tests. This can occur through CI/CD pipeline attacks, the local development environment, and/or compromised dependencies. Rather than just silently sanitizing the input via `['allowed_classes' => false]`, the maintainer has chosen to make the anomalous state explicit by treating pre-existing `.coverage` files for PHPT tests as an error condition. Starting in versions in versions 12.5.8, 11.5.50, 10.5.62, 9.6.33, when a `.coverage` file is detected for a PHPT test prior to execution, PHPUnit will emit a clear error message identifying the anomalous state. Organizations can reduce the effective risk of this vulnerability through proper CI/CD configuration, including ephemeral runners, code review enforcement, branch protection, artifact isolation, and access control.

Timeline

Scores

EPSS (exploitation in 30 days)

0.38% · top 67% of all CVEs (14 Nov 2026)

CISA SSVC

Exploitation: none · Automatable: no · Technical impact: total

The list uses the assigner's score when there is one, then CISA's, then NVD's: High 7.8.

Affected products

• sebastianbergmann · phpunit

  • affected < 8.5.52
  • affected >= 9.0.0, < 9.6.33
  • affected >= 10.0.0, < 10.5.62
  • affected >= 11.0.0, < 11.5.50
  • affected >= 12.0.0, < 12.5.8

Affected packages

From reviewed advisories of the GitHub Advisory Database.

• Packagistphpunit/phpunitGHSA-vvj3-c3rp-c85p (opens in a new tab)

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)
• EUVD EUVD-2026-4725 (opens in a new tab)
• OSV.dev (opens in a new tab)
• GitHub Advisory GHSA-vvj3-c3rp-c85p (opens in a new tab)
• CIRCL Vulnerability-Lookup (opens in a new tab)

Badge for a README or a ticket

[![CVE-2026-24765](https://cveledger.app/badge/CVE-2026-24765.svg)](https://cveledger.app/cve/CVE-2026-24765)

Record last updated 6 Feb 2026, 12:09 UTC.