CVE-2026-41570: PHPUnit: Argument injection via newline in PHP INI values forwarded to child processes

Published May 8, 2026
·
Updated

PHPUnit is a testing framework for PHP. In versions 12.5.21 and 13.1.5, PHPUnit forwards PHP INI settings to child processes (used for isolated/PHPT test execution) as -d name=value command-line arguments without neutralizing INI metacharacters. Because PHP's INI parser interprets " as a string delimiter, ; as the start of a comment, and most importantly a newline as a directive separator, a value containing a newline is parsed by the child process as multiple INI directives. An attacker able to influence a single INI value can therefore inject arbitrary additional directives into the child's configuration, including autoprependfile, extension, disablefunctions, openbasedir, and others. Setting autoprependfile to an attacker-controlled path yields remote code execution in the child process. This issue has been patched in versions 12.5.22 and 13.1.6.

Affected Software

3 affected components
packagist/phpunit/phpunit=12.5.21, =13.1.5
Phpunit Project Phpunit=12.5.21
Phpunit Project Phpunit=13.1.5

Event History

May 8, 2026
CVE Published
via MITRE·02:33 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·02:33 PM
DescriptionSeverityWeakness
Data Sourced
via NVD·03:16 PM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityWeaknessAffected Software
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Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2026-41570?

CVE-2026-41570 has a medium severity rating due to the potential for argument injection via newline in PHP INI values.

2

How do I fix CVE-2026-41570?

To fix CVE-2026-41570, upgrade PHPUnit to a version newer than 12.5.21 and 13.1.5.

3

What versions are affected by CVE-2026-41570?

CVE-2026-41570 affects PHPUnit versions 12.5.21 and 13.1.5.

4

What is the nature of the vulnerability identified in CVE-2026-41570?

CVE-2026-41570 involves argument injection via newline in PHP INI values forwarded to child processes.

5

What should I do if I cannot upgrade to fix CVE-2026-41570?

If you cannot upgrade, consider disabling the features that forward PHP INI settings to child processes as a temporary mitigation.

Contact

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