CVE-2006-5549
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedPHP remote file inclusion vulnerability in libraries/amfphp/amf-core/custom/CachedGateway.php in Adobe PHP SDK allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary PHP code via the AMFPHP_BASE parameter. NOTE: this issue has been disputed by a third-party researcher who states that AMFPHP_BASE is a constant
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · moderate confidenceRemote file inclusion vulnerability in Adobe PHP SDK's CachedGateway.php allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary PHP code by manipulating the AMFPHP_BASE parameter to include malicious external files. The CVSS 7.5 score indicates high severity due to the potential for complete compromise through arbitrary code execution.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE dataall versionsCVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Authentication
- None
- Confidentiality
- Partial
- Integrity
- Partial
- Availability
- Partial
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
-
Locate CachedGateway.php in the environmentSearch web directories for the file CachedGateway.php, typically found in the amfphp or similar Adobe PHP SDK directories under the web root.Affected if The file exists and is web-accessible, indicating the Adobe PHP SDK is installed.
-
Check PHP configuration for URL-based file inclusion settingsInspect php.ini or run phpinfo() to check the values of allow_url_fopen and allow_url_include settings.Affected if Either allow_url_fopen or allow_url_include is enabled (set to 1 or On), allowing external URLs to be included.
-
Verify AMFPHP_BASE constant definitionExamine CachedGateway.php source code to determine if AMFPHP_BASE is defined as a constant and whether it accepts user input from request parameters.Affected if AMFPHP_BASE is not defined as a constant, or the code allows user-controllable input to override the base path.
-
Test for external file inclusion capabilityIf CachedGateway.php is accessible, attempt a controlled test by observing whether the application allows inclusion of external URLs via the AMFPHP_BASE parameter (in a non-production test environment).Affected if The application permits including files from external URLs through the AMFPHP_BASE parameter.
A user is affected if the Adobe PHP SDK with CachedGateway.php is installed, accessible via web, and either URL-based inclusion is enabled in PHP or AMFPHP_BASE can be controlled by user input.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor dataDisable allow_url_fopen and allow_url_include in PHP configuration, ensure AMFPHP_BASE is properly defined as a constant with no user-controllable input, or upgrade to a patched version of the SDK if available.
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,880.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2006-5549 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2006-5549 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.
- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data