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PHPApplication

CVE-2025-14178

HIGH · 8.2 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-12-27
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 8.1.34 / 8.2.30 or later.
See remediation →
91/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

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 · unedited
In PHP versions:8.1.* before 8.1.34, 8.2.* before 8.2.30, 8.3.* before 8.3.29, 8.4.* before 8.4.16, 8.5.* before 8.5.1, a heap buffer overflow occurs in array_merge() when the total element count of packed arrays exceeds 32-bit limits or HT_MAX_SIZE, due to an integer overflow in the precomputation of element counts using zend_hash_num_elements(). This may lead to memory corruption or crashes and affect the integrity and availability of the target server.

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 confidence

Heap buffer overflow in PHP's array_merge() function occurs when the total element count of packed arrays exceeds 32-bit limits or HT_MAX_SIZE, caused by an integer overflow in the precomputation of element counts using zend_hash_num_elements(). This can lead to memory corruption, crashes, and compromise server integrity and availability.

MitigationUpgrade PHP to version 8.1.34, 8.2.30, 8.3.29, 8.4.16, 8.5.1 or later to patch the integer overflow vulnerability in array_merge().

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
PHPApplication
Affected:>= 8.1.0, < 8.1.34>= 8.2.0, < 8.2.30>= 8.3.0, < 8.3.29>= 8.4.0, < 8.4.16>= 8.5.0, < 8.5.1

CVSS 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
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
Low
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:H

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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify installed PHP version
    Run 'php -v' or 'php --version' from command line to get the exact PHP version number
    Affected if The version falls within any of these ranges: 8.1.0-8.1.33, 8.2.0-8.2.29, 8.3.0-8.3.28, 8.4.0-8.4.15, or 8.5.0-8.5.0
  2. Locate array_merge() usage in code
    Search codebase for calls to array_merge() function, using grep or IDE find features with pattern 'array_merge\('
    Affected if array_merge() is used in the application's PHP code
  3. Check for large array inputs to array_merge()
    Review array_merge() calls to determine if they process packed arrays with element counts approaching or exceeding PHP's internal array size limits (32-bit integer range or HT_MAX_SIZE threshold)
    Affected if Application passes large packed arrays with many elements to array_merge() calls (typically arrays with element counts near PHP's internal hash table size limits)
  4. Verify PHP runtime configuration
    Check phpinfo() output or php -i command for PHP configuration details, particularly memory limits and array-related settings
    Affected if PHP is configured with high enough memory limits to permit creation of arrays large enough to trigger the overflow condition

You are affected if your PHP version is within any of the vulnerable ranges AND your code uses array_merge() with packed arrays containing element counts that could trigger the integer overflow in zend_hash_num_elements() precomputation.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 8.1.34 / 8.2.30 / 8.3.29 or later
Fixed in 8.1.348.2.308.3.29
Interim mitigation

Upgrade PHP to version 8.1.34, 8.2.30, 8.3.29, 8.4.16, 8.5.1 or later to patch the integer overflow vulnerability in array_merge().

Recommended fix High confidence

Upgrade to PHP 8.1.34+, 8.2.30+, 8.3.29+, or 8.4.16+ (depending on your current major version branch)

  1. Identify the current PHP version using 'php -v' command
  2. For PHP 8.1.x: Upgrade to version 8.1.34 or later (e.g., 8.1.34, 8.1.35)
  3. For PHP 8.2.x: Upgrade to version 8.2.30 or later (e.g., 8.2.30, 8.2.31)
  4. For PHP 8.3.x: Upgrade to version 8.3.29 or later (e.g., 8.3.29, 8.3.30)
  5. For PHP 8.4.x: Upgrade to version 8.4.16 or later (e.g., 8.4.16, 8.4.17)
  6. Use package manager (apt, yum, brew) or download from php.net to install the fixed version
  7. Verify the upgrade was successful by running 'php -v' and confirming the version number
  8. Test critical PHP applications to ensure compatibility with the new PHP version
Caveat Minor version upgrades within the same branch typically have no breaking changes; however, test applications thoroughly as some deprecated features may have been removed

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in PHP Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
8.0 hours of engineering $1,390
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,224.

Scan for this in your stack

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2025-14178 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

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.

What belongs here
  • 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