CVE-2021-21707Public exploitNetwork attack vector

Unintended file read via percent-encoded NUL truncation

Published Nov 29, 2021 · Updated Sep 17, 2024

Path truncation in PHP 7.3.x before 7.3.33, 7.4.x before 7.4.26, and 8.0.x before 8.0.13 allows attackers to read unintended files. PHP's libxml filename wrappers URL-decode percent-encoded NUL bytes, causing XML functions to discard the filename suffix after %00. Application code must pass an attacker-controlled filename to an affected XML function, and disclosure is limited to files readable by the PHP process.

CVSS severity5.3
Medium
EPSS probability25.95%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Path truncation in PHP 7.3.x before 7.3.33, 7.4.x before 7.4.26, and 8.0.x before 8.0.13 allows attackers to read unintended files. PHP's libxml filename wrappers URL-decode percent-encoded NUL bytes, causing XML functions to discard the filename suffix after %00. Application code must pass an attacker-controlled filename to an affected XML function, and disclosure is limited to files readable by the PHP process.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-21707
Published
Nov 29, 2021
Updated
Sep 17, 2024
Vendor
The PHP Group
Product
PHP
Classifications
T1190
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Nov 29, 2021CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Sep 17, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=7.3.x <7.3.33
  2. Affected versionversion=7.4.x <7.4.26
  3. Affected versionversion=8.0.X <8.0.13

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

The PHP Group · PHPversion=7.3.x <7.3.33; version=7.4.x <7.4.26; version=8.0.X <8.0.13

Published CVSS scores

5.3GitHub Advisory DatabaseCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

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No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

T1190Exploit Public-Facing Application

Public exploit references

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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