CVE-2016-3185 in PHP
Summary
by MITRE
The make_http_soap_request function in ext/soap/php_http.c in PHP before 5.4.44, 5.5.x before 5.5.28, 5.6.x before 5.6.12, and 7.x before 7.0.4 allows remote attackers to obtain sensitive information from process memory or cause a denial of service (type confusion and application crash) via crafted serialized _cookies data, related to the SoapClient::__call method in ext/soap/soap.c.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/10/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-3185 represents a critical security flaw in PHP's SOAP extension that affects multiple version ranges including PHP 5.4.x before 5.4.44, 5.5.x before 5.5.28, 5.6.x before 5.6.12, and 7.x before 7.0.4. This issue stems from improper handling of serialized cookie data within the make_http_soap_request function located in ext/soap/php_http.c, creating a pathway for remote attackers to exploit weaknesses in the SoapClient::__call method found in ext/soap/soap.c. The vulnerability manifests when the SOAP extension processes crafted serialized data that contains malicious cookie information, leading to unpredictable behavior in the application's memory management and execution flow.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves type confusion and memory corruption issues that arise from how PHP handles serialized cookie data during SOAP HTTP requests. When a SoapClient object invokes the __call method with maliciously crafted data, the make_http_soap_request function fails to properly validate or sanitize the serialized cookie information, causing the application to interpret memory contents incorrectly. This type confusion vulnerability falls under CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-122, which covers heap-based buffer overflow conditions, as the memory corruption occurs during dynamic memory allocation and manipulation. The flaw allows attackers to either extract sensitive information from process memory through information disclosure or trigger denial of service conditions through application crashes and memory corruption.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-3185 extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it creates a vector for both reconnaissance and service disruption attacks. Remote attackers can leverage this vulnerability to gain access to sensitive data that may include authentication tokens, session information, or other confidential process memory contents. The potential for denial of service makes this particularly dangerous in production environments where SOAP services are critical to business operations, as a successful exploitation could result in complete application crashes and service unavailability. Attackers exploiting this vulnerability may also use it as a stepping stone for further attacks, potentially escalating privileges or gaining deeper access to affected systems.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should prioritize immediate patching of their PHP installations to versions that contain the necessary security fixes. The recommended mitigation strategy includes updating to PHP 5.4.44, 5.5.28, 5.6.12, or 7.0.4 respectively, depending on the current version in use. Security teams should also implement network monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts through unusual SOAP request patterns or memory access violations. Additional defensive measures include implementing strict input validation for SOAP client parameters, limiting SOAP service access through firewall rules, and conducting thorough security assessments of applications that utilize the SOAP extension. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability aligns with techniques such as T1059.007 for script-based execution and T1068 for local privilege escalation, while the information disclosure aspect maps to T1005. Organizations should also consider implementing application whitelisting policies and runtime application self-protection mechanisms to reduce the attack surface and prevent exploitation of similar vulnerabilities in the future.