CVE-2026-7568 — Signed integer overflow in metaphone()
In PHP versions 8.2.* before 8.2.31, 8.3.* before 8.3.31, 8.4.* before 8.4.21, and 8.5.* before 8.5.6, the metaphone() function in ext/standard/metaphone.c uses a signed int variable to track the current position within the input string. If a string longer than 2,147,483,647 bytes is passed, a signed integer overflow occurs, resulting in undefined behavior. This can lead to an out-of-bounds read, causing a segmentation fault or access to unrelated memory, and may affect the availability of the PHP process.
Who exploits it and how urgent it is
A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.
How the score was calculated
- EPSS 0.8% (30-day exploitation probability)+9
- Technical severity (high)+6
The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).
Triage
Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.
CISA SSVC assessment CISA
Three decision points CISA publishes for the CVEs it assesses (SSVC 2.0.3). A stakeholder decision, not a severity score.
Remediation
Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.
No fix documented by the sources we poll. That does not mean none exists: check the vendor advisory.
First 24 hours
Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.
- Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Php Php, PHP Group PHP).
- The attack is network-based and needs no privileges: restrict exposure (ACLs, VPN, WAF) until patched.
- No fix documented in the sources: reduce exposure and monitor the vendor advisory.
- Search available logs for exploit probes matching the vulnerability class (memory corruption), errors and authentication anomalies.
Affected scope
Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Php | Php | ≥ 8.2.0 and < 8.2.31≥ 8.3.0 and < 8.3.31≥ 8.4.0 and < 8.4.21≥ 8.5.0 and < 8.5.6 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| PHP Group | PHP | ≥ 8.2.* and < 8.2.31≥ 8.3.* and < 8.3.31≥ 8.4.* and < 8.4.21≥ 8.5.* and < 8.5.6 | Vulnerable | CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
Attack characteristics
The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.
Every base score collected
Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.
| Score | Version | Severity | Expl. | Impact | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6.3 | CVSS 4.0 | Medium | — | — | security@php.net via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 6.3 | CVSS 4.0 | Medium | — | — | php via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
| 7.5 | CVSS 3.1 | High | 3.9 | 3.6 | nvd@nist.gov via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 7.5 | CVSS 3.1 | High | 3.9 | 3.6 | 0b0ca135-0b70-47e7-9f44-1890c2a1c46c via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H (score shown at the top: nvd@nist.gov) Weakness MITRE
Weakness class according to MITRE’s CWE catalog.
EPSS over time FIRST
Oct 13, 2026 → Oct 14, 2026 · 2 reading(s) · max 0.84%
Detection
Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.
- Prioritize edge telemetry for the network-reachable component (proxy, WAF, IDS/IPS).
- Correlate service crashes/restarts with inbound traffic; repeated crashes may indicate attempts.
Timeline
What happened to this CVE, newest first.
- 2026
- Affected products added · php group/php
- SSVC assessment updated
- Record published
- CVSS changed · 7.5
- Source status changed · → Modified
- Record created in this database
- CVE published
Source activity
Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.
- 1× Official description updated · Oct 13, 2026 – Oct 13, 2026
References
11 on the record
- github.com/php/php-src/security/advisories/GHSA-96wq-48vp-hh57
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:33449
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:22143
- bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:22305
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:34354
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:22142
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:23388
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:22649
- access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-7568
- security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-7568.json
Elsewhere on this site
Related CVEs (same products)
- Low CVE-2025-1218 Various packet overreads in mysqlnd_writeprotocol.c 19d
- Medium CVE-2025-14181 Integer overflow to buffer overflow in soap HTTP parsing 19d
- High CVE-2026-7263 DoS attack via DOMNode::C14N() May 10, 2026
- Critical CVE-2026-6104 Global buffer over-read in mb_convert_encoding() with attacker-supplied encoding May 10, 2026
- Critical CVE-2026-7261 SoapServer session-persisted object use-after-free via SOAP header fault May 10, 2026
- Medium CVE-2026-7259 Null pointer dereference in php_mb_check_encoding() via mb_ereg_search_init() May 10, 2026
Not in any source we poll
Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.
- No fixed version, patch or mitigation documented.
- No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
- No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
- No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.
Answered from this record
Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.
What should defenders know first?
CVE-2026-7568 is "Signed integer overflow in metaphone()", rated High. It affects Php (Php); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. CVSS 7.5 describes technical severity. EPSS 0.84% estimates the probability of exploitation in 30 days; neither replaces your asset context. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.
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