CVE-2008-5887
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 · uneditedphplist before 2.10.8 allows remote attackers to include files via unknown vectors, related to a "local file include vulnerability."
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 · high confidencephplist before version 2.10.8 contains a local file inclusion (LFI) vulnerability that allows remote attackers to include arbitrary local files via unspecified vectors. The vulnerability stems from unsanitized user input being used in PHP include/require statements, potentially allowing attackers to read sensitive files on the server or execute arbitrary code via PHP file inclusion.
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 data<= 2.10.7= 1.0= 1.0.1= 1.1.2b= 1.1.3b= 1.1.4b= 1.1.5= 1.1.5b= 1.1.6= 1.1.7= 1.3.5= 1.3.7CVSS 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
- None
- Availability
- None
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:N
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.
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Identify phplist versionLocate the version file in your phplist installation (typically in a config file or version.php in the root directory). Alternatively, access the admin dashboard and check the footer or 'About' section for the version number.Affected if The installed version is 2.10.7 or earlier, or matches any of these: 1.0, 1.0.1, 1.1.2b, 1.1.3b, 1.1.4b, 1.1.5, 1.1.5b, 1.1.6, 1.1.7, 1.3.5, 1.3.7
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Locate PHP include/require statementsSearch the phplist source code for include, require, include_once, and require_once statements that use variables in the file path (for example: include($var); or require($_GET['page']);). Examine common entry points like index.php and any admin scripts.Affected if Any include or require statement uses unsanitized user input (such as GET/POST parameters) directly in the file path without validation or sanitization.
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Inspect input handling codeReview PHP files that process user parameters and pass them to include/require functions. Look for patterns where $_GET, $_POST, or $_REQUEST variables are used as part of include paths without sanitization functions like basename() or explicit allowlists.Affected if User-supplied parameters are passed directly to include/require statements without validation, allowing path traversal or arbitrary file inclusion.
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Verify web exposureConfirm that the phplist installation is accessible via a web server. Check your web server configuration (Apache, Nginx, etc.) for any active virtual host or alias pointing to the phplist directory.Affected if The phplist application is accessible over HTTP/HTTPS, allowing remote attackers to craft requests that exploit the LFI vulnerability.
You are affected if your installed phplist version is 2.10.7 or earlier (or matches any of the listed specific versions) AND your codebase contains include/require statements using unsanitized user input AND the application is web-accessible.
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 dataUpgrade to phplist 2.10.8 or later to obtain the vendor patch. If immediate upgrading is not feasible, disable PHP's allow_url_include setting, implement strict input validation on all user-supplied parameters, and review code for insecure include/require patterns.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation1.0 h
- Testing1.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2008-5887 — 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-2008-5887 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
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- 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
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