CWE
362
Advisory Published
Updated

CVE-2006-5178: Race Condition

First published: Fri Oct 06 2006(Updated: )

Race condition in the symlink function in PHP 5.1.6 and earlier allows local users to bypass the open_basedir restriction by using a combination of symlink, mkdir, and unlink functions to change the file path after the open_basedir check and before the file is opened by the underlying system, as demonstrated by symlinking a symlink into a subdirectory, to point to a parent directory via .. (dot dot) sequences, and then unlinking the resulting symlink.

Credit: cve@mitre.org

Affected SoftwareAffected VersionHow to fix
PHP=4.3.9
PHP=5.1.5
PHP=5.1.2
PHP=4.2.0
PHP=5.1.1
PHP=4.4.4
PHP=4.1.0
PHP=4.3.4
PHP=4.0.4
PHP=4.3.0
PHP=4.0.5
PHP=5.0-rc1
PHP=5.0.5
PHP=4.3.6
PHP=5.0.1
PHP=5.1.4
PHP=4.0.7-rc2
PHP=4.3.7
PHP=5.0.4
PHP=4.0.7-rc1
PHP=4.2.2
PHP=4.4.2
PHP=4.3.2
PHP=4.3.11
PHP<=5.1.6
PHP=4.0.3-patch1
PHP=4.0.7
PHP=4.0.2
PHP=4.3.3
PHP=5.0-rc3
PHP=4.1.1
PHP=4.4.3
PHP=5.0.3
PHP=4.2.3
PHP=5.1.0
PHP=4.0.1-patch1
PHP=4.0
PHP=4.0.1-patch2
PHP=4.0.6
PHP=5.0-rc2
PHP=4.1.2
PHP=4.0.7-rc3
PHP=4.3.1
PHP=5.1.3
PHP=4.4.0
PHP=4.3.10
PHP=4.2.1
PHP=4.0.1
PHP=5.0.2
PHP=4.2
PHP=4.4.1
PHP=5.0.0
PHP=4.3.8
PHP=4.3.5

Never miss a vulnerability like this again

Sign up to SecAlerts for real-time vulnerability data matched to your software, aggregated from hundreds of sources.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the vulnerability description of CVE-2006-5178?

    CVE-2006-5178 describes a race condition in the symlink function in PHP versions up to 5.1.6 that allows local users to bypass the open_basedir restriction.

  • What PHP versions are affected by CVE-2006-5178?

    CVE-2006-5178 affects PHP versions 4.0 to 5.1.6, including various subversions and release candidates.

  • How can I mitigate CVE-2006-5178?

    To mitigate CVE-2006-5178, it is recommended to upgrade to PHP version 5.1.7 or later, which addresses this vulnerability.

  • What are the risks associated with CVE-2006-5178?

    The risk associated with CVE-2006-5178 is that a local user could bypass security restrictions, potentially gaining unauthorized access to files.

  • Is CVE-2006-5178 a critical vulnerability?

    CVE-2006-5178 is considered a serious vulnerability as it can be exploited by local users to compromise system security.

Contact

SecAlerts Pty Ltd.
132 Wickham Terrace
Fortitude Valley,
QLD 4006, Australia
info@secalerts.co
By using SecAlerts services, you agree to our services end-user license agreement. This website is safeguarded by reCAPTCHA and governed by the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. All names, logos, and brands of products are owned by their respective owners, and any usage of these names, logos, and brands for identification purposes only does not imply endorsement. If you possess any content that requires removal, please get in touch with us.
© 2025 SecAlerts Pty Ltd.
ABN: 70 645 966 203, ACN: 645 966 203