CVE-2025-48951 in Auth0-PHP
Summary
by MITRE • 06/04/2025
Auth0-PHP is a PHP SDK for Auth0 Authentication and Management APIs. Versions 8.0.0-BETA3 prior to 8.14.0 contain a vulnerability due to insecure deserialization of cookie data. If exploited, since SDKs process cookie content without prior authentication, a threat actor could send a specially crafted cookie containing malicious serialized data. Applications using the Auth0-PHP SDK are affected, as are applications using the Auth0/symfony, Auth0/laravel-auth0, or Auth0/wordpress SDKs, because those SDKsrely on the Auth0-PHP SDK versions from 8.0.0-BETA3 until 8.14.0. Version 8.14.0 contains a patch for the issue.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/05/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-48951 affects the Auth0-PHP SDK, which serves as a critical component for authentication and management API interactions in PHP applications. This security flaw stems from insecure deserialization practices within the cookie processing mechanism of the SDK, creating a significant attack surface for malicious actors. The vulnerability specifically impacts versions ranging from 8.0.0-BETA3 through 8.13.0, making a substantial portion of the SDK's user base susceptible to exploitation. The issue is particularly concerning because it leverages the fundamental trust model of web applications where cookie data is processed without proper authentication checks, allowing attackers to inject malicious serialized objects directly into the application's execution flow.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability resides in the SDK's handling of authentication cookies that contain serialized data structures. When applications utilize the Auth0-PHP SDK, they typically rely on cookie-based authentication mechanisms to maintain user sessions and state information. The insecure deserialization occurs when the SDK processes these cookies without implementing proper input validation or authentication checks, allowing threat actors to craft malicious cookie payloads containing serialized PHP objects. These objects can be designed to execute arbitrary code or manipulate application behavior when deserialized by the vulnerable SDK. The vulnerability directly maps to CWE-502, which categorizes insecure deserialization as a critical security weakness that can lead to remote code execution, privilege escalation, or data manipulation. The attack vector is particularly dangerous because it requires no prior authentication credentials, as the SDK processes cookie data regardless of its origin or authenticity.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond individual applications to encompass entire ecosystems that depend on the Auth0-PHP SDK, including the Symfony, Laravel, and WordPress integration packages. Applications using these affected SDK versions are at risk of complete compromise, as the vulnerability allows attackers to potentially execute arbitrary code on the application server. The scope of affected systems is broad, encompassing web applications that rely on Auth0 for authentication services, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where multiple applications may be interconnected. Security teams face the challenge of identifying all affected applications across their infrastructure, as the vulnerability can manifest through various integration points. The exploitation of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized access to user data, privilege escalation, session hijacking, and potential lateral movement within network environments, as highlighted by ATT&CK technique T1566 for credential harvesting and T1059 for command execution.
Organizations utilizing the affected Auth0-PHP SDK versions should immediately implement mitigation strategies to protect their systems from potential exploitation. The most effective immediate solution involves upgrading to Auth0-PHP SDK version 8.14.0 or later, which contains the necessary patch to address the insecure deserialization vulnerability. Security teams should conduct comprehensive audits of their application environments to identify all instances of the vulnerable SDK versions and implement mandatory upgrade procedures. Additionally, implementing proper input validation and authentication checks for cookie processing within applications can provide additional defense-in-depth measures. Network monitoring should be enhanced to detect suspicious cookie patterns and unusual authentication behaviors that might indicate exploitation attempts. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls or security controls that can detect and block malicious serialized data patterns in HTTP cookies, providing an additional layer of protection against this specific class of vulnerability. The patch released in version 8.14.0 addresses the core deserialization issue by implementing proper validation mechanisms and authentication checks for cookie content, ensuring that serialized data is properly verified before processing.