How severe is CVE-2004-0542?

CVE-2004-0542 has a CVSS 2.0 base score of 10.0, rated critical severity.

Is CVE-2004-0542 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 31% (98th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2004-0542?

CVE-2004-0542 affects Php. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2004-0542?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2004-0542 published?

CVE-2004-0542 was published on 2004-08-06 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

CVE-2004-0542

CVE-2004-0542 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Php with a CVSS 2.0 base score of 10.0. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score of 31% places it in the 98th percentile, indicating an elevated likelihood of exploitation.

Key facts

Severity: Critical (CVSS 2.0 base score 10.0)
EPSS exploit prediction: 31% (98th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Affected product: Php
Published: 2004-08-06
Last modified: 2026-06-16

Description

PHP before 4.3.7 on Win32 platforms does not properly filter all shell metacharacters, which allows local or remote attackers to execute arbitrary code, overwrite files, and access internal environment variables via (1) the "%", "|", or ">" characters to the escapeshellcmd function, or (2) the "%" character to the escapeshellarg function.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2004-0542?: PHP before 4.3.7 on Win32 platforms does not properly filter all shell metacharacters, which allows local or remote attackers to execute arbitrary code, overwrite files, and access internal environment variables via (1) the "%", "|", or ">" characters to the escapeshellcmd function, or (2) the "%" character to the escapeshellarg function.
How severe is CVE-2004-0542?: CVE-2004-0542 has a CVSS 2.0 base score of 10.0, rated critical severity.
Is CVE-2004-0542 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 31% (98th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2004-0542?: CVE-2004-0542 affects Php. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2004-0542?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2004-0542 published?: CVE-2004-0542 was published on 2004-08-06 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:php:php:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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