CVE-2016-5771

Name: CVE-2016-5771
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2016-08-07T10:59:19.167+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

CRITICALCVSS 9.8/10EPSS 15.08%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2016-5771 is a critical-severity vulnerability rated 9.8/10 on the CVSS scale. spl_array.c in the SPL extension in PHP before 5.5.37 and 5.6.x before 5.6.23 improperly interacts with the unserialize implementation and garbage collection, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (use-after-free and application crash) via crafted serialized data.. EPSS estimates a 15.08% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

spl_array.c in the SPL extension in PHP before 5.5.37 and 5.6.x before 5.6.23 improperly interacts with the unserialize implementation and garbage collection, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (use-after-free and application crash) via crafted serialized data.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

9.8/10

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

EPSS Probability

15.08%

96.3th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-416

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Php	Php	< 5.5.37
Php	Php	>= 5.6.0, < 5.6.23
Php	Php	>= 7.0.0, < 7.0.8
Opensuse	Leap	42.1
Opensuse	Opensuse	13.2
Debian	Debian Linux	8.0

References

http://github.com/php/php-src/commit/3f627e580acfdaf0595ae3b115b8bec677f203ee?w=1Patch, Third Party Advisory
http://lists.apple.com/archives/security-announce/2016/Sep/msg00006.htmlBroken Link, Mailing List
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2016-07/msg00004.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-updates/2016-08/msg00003.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
http://php.net/ChangeLog-5.phpPatch, Release Notes, Vendor Advisory
http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016-2750.htmlThird Party Advisory
http://www.debian.org/security/2016/dsa-3618Third Party Advisory
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/06/23/4Mailing List, Patch, Third Party Advisory
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/91401Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
https://bugs.php.net/bug.php?id=72433Exploit, Issue Tracking, Vendor Advisory
https://h20566.www2.hpe.com/portal/site/hpsc/public/kb/docDisplay?docId=emr_na-c05240731Third Party Advisory
https://support.apple.com/HT207170Third Party Advisory
http://github.com/php/php-src/commit/3f627e580acfdaf0595ae3b115b8bec677f203ee?w=1Patch, Third Party Advisory
http://lists.apple.com/archives/security-announce/2016/Sep/msg00006.htmlBroken Link, Mailing List
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2016-07/msg00004.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-updates/2016-08/msg00003.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
http://php.net/ChangeLog-5.phpPatch, Release Notes, Vendor Advisory
http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016-2750.htmlThird Party Advisory
http://www.debian.org/security/2016/dsa-3618Third Party Advisory
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/06/23/4Mailing List, Patch, Third Party Advisory
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/91401Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
https://bugs.php.net/bug.php?id=72433Exploit, Issue Tracking, Vendor Advisory
https://h20566.www2.hpe.com/portal/site/hpsc/public/kb/docDisplay?docId=emr_na-c05240731Third Party Advisory
https://support.apple.com/HT207170Third Party Advisory

Timeline

Published: Aug 7, 2016
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2016-5771?

How severe is CVE-2016-5771?

CVE-2016-5771 has a CVSS score of 9.8/10 (CRITICAL severity). The EPSS model estimates a 15.08% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2016-5771?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.

Are you affected by CVE-2016-5771?

Run a free Strix scan to check your systems for this vulnerability.

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST