CVE-2007-1825 in PHP
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in the imap_mail_compose function in PHP 5 before 5.2.1, and PHP 4 before 4.4.5, allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a long boundary string in a type.parameters field. NOTE: as of 20070411, it appears that this issue might be subsumed by CVE-2007-0906.3.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/20/2025
The vulnerability described in CVE-2007-1825 represents a critical buffer overflow condition within PHP's IMAP mail composition functionality that affects multiple versions of the PHP runtime environment. This flaw specifically targets the imap_mail_compose function which handles email message construction and processing, creating an avenue for remote code execution attacks that could be exploited by malicious actors without authentication. The vulnerability exists in PHP versions prior to 5.2.1 for PHP 5.x and 4.4.5 for PHP 4.x, indicating a widespread impact across the PHP ecosystem at the time of discovery. The issue manifests when processing email messages containing excessively long boundary strings within the type.parameters field of MIME headers, where the application fails to properly validate input length before attempting to store data in fixed-size memory buffers.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions that occur when a program writes more data to a buffer than it can hold, and is classified under the broader category of CWE-787, indicating outbound buffer overflow conditions. The flaw operates by exploiting improper bounds checking within the imap_mail_compose function where the application assumes a maximum length for boundary strings in email headers without implementing adequate validation mechanisms. When an attacker crafts a malicious email message with an oversized boundary parameter, the function attempts to copy this data into a pre-allocated buffer without sufficient size verification, causing the buffer to overflow and potentially overwrite adjacent memory locations including return addresses and execution pointers.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple remote code execution to encompass complete system compromise when exploited successfully. Attackers could leverage this flaw to execute arbitrary commands on vulnerable systems, potentially gaining full administrative control over web servers running affected PHP versions. The remote nature of the attack means that exploitation could occur without requiring physical access or prior authentication, making it particularly dangerous for web applications that process user-submitted email data. Systems utilizing PHP for email handling, including webmail applications, email processing scripts, and any application that relies on the imap_mail_compose function for message composition would be at risk. The vulnerability's potential for being subsumed by CVE-2007-0906.3 indicates that security researchers identified overlapping or related attack vectors that could be addressed through similar remediation approaches.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2007-1825 primarily involve immediate version upgrading to patched PHP releases, specifically PHP 5.2.1 or later for PHP 5.x installations and PHP 4.4.5 or later for PHP 4.x deployments. Organizations should implement comprehensive patch management procedures to ensure all affected systems receive timely updates. Additionally, input validation measures can be implemented at the application level to sanitize email header parameters before processing, though this represents a temporary workaround rather than a complete solution. Security monitoring should include detection of malformed email headers and unusual boundary string lengths that could indicate attempted exploitation. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and memory management practices in web application development, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and script injection attacks that leverage buffer overflow conditions to execute malicious code in target environments.