CVE-2024-3096Public exploitNetwork attack vector

Account takeover via NUL-truncated password verification

Published Apr 29, 2024 · Updated Nov 4, 2025

Null-byte handling in PHP 8.1.0 through 8.1.27, 8.2.0 through 8.2.17, and 8.3.0 through 8.3.4 allows attackers to take over accounts. The password_verify() path treats a leading NUL in a password_hash() result as a string terminator, so an empty candidate is accepted as matching. Exploitation requires an application to accept and store a password beginning with a NUL byte; remote attackers can then sign in to that account with a blank password.

CVSS severity6.5
Medium
EPSS probability1.49%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Null-byte handling in PHP 8.1.0 through 8.1.27, 8.2.0 through 8.2.17, and 8.3.0 through 8.3.4 allows attackers to take over accounts. The password_verify() path treats a leading NUL in a password_hash() result as a string terminator, so an empty candidate is accepted as matching. Exploitation requires an application to accept and store a password beginning with a NUL byte; remote attackers can then sign in to that account with a blank password.

The record

CVE
CVE-2024-3096
Published
Apr 29, 2024
Updated
Nov 4, 2025
Vendor
The PHP Group
Product
PHP
Classifications
CWE-20, CWE-626, CAPEC-52, T1190
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Apr 29, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Nov 4, 2025Record 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=8.1.0
  2. Affected versionversion=8.1.* <8.1.28
  3. Affected versionversion=8.2.0
  4. Affected versionversion=8.2.* <8.2.18
  5. Affected versionversion=8.3.0
  6. Affected versionversion=8.3.* <8.3.5

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

The PHP Group · PHPversion=8.1.0; version=8.1.* <8.1.28; version=8.2.0; version=8.2.* <8.2.18; version=8.3.0; version=8.3.* <8.3.5

Published CVSS scores

6.5PHP GroupCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
4.8Red HatCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/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.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

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

CWE-20Improper Input Validation
CWE-626Null Byte Interaction Error (Poison Null Byte)
CAPEC-52Embedding NULL Bytes
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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