CVE-2015-5243
CVE-2015-5243 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Phpwhois Project Phpwhois with a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-94.
Key facts
- Severity: Critical (CVSS 3.x base score 9.8)
- CVSS v2: 7.5
- EPSS exploit prediction: 6% (93rd percentile)
- Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
- Weakness: CWE-94
- Affected product: Phpwhois Project Phpwhois
- Published:
- Last modified:
Description
phpWhois allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted whois record.
Frequently asked questions
- What is CVE-2015-5243?
- phpWhois allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted whois record.
- How severe is CVE-2015-5243?
- CVE-2015-5243 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
- Is CVE-2015-5243 being actively exploited?
- It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 6% (93rd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
- What products are affected by CVE-2015-5243?
- CVE-2015-5243 affects Phpwhois Project Phpwhois. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
- How do I fix CVE-2015-5243?
- 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-2015-5243 published?
- CVE-2015-5243 was published on 2018-08-20 and last updated on 2026-06-17.
References
- https://blog.nettitude.com/uk/cve-2015-5243-phpwhois-remote-code-execution
- https://github.com/Gemorroj/phpwhois/commit/91c937e03c876ba1290b6de2a3ad953d2105fdd0
- https://github.com/jsmitty12/phpWhois/blob/master/CHANGELOG.md
- https://github.com/jsmitty12/phpWhois/issues/19
- https://github.com/sbaresearch/advisories/tree/public/2018/SBA-ADV-20180425-01_phpWhois_Code_Execution
- https://github.com/sparc/phpWhois.org/commit/5cc572490c9053d46598ec9348a11e36a5a33a46#diff-f150ae17da7341bf6c2eff928684b3a3
Affected products (1)
- cpe:2.3:a:phpwhois_project:phpwhois:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
More vulnerabilities in Phpwhois Project Phpwhois
- CVE-2021-43698 — Medium (CVSS 6.1): phpWhois (last update Jun 30 2021) is affected by a Cross Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability. In file example.php, the…
- CVE-2015-3998 — Medium (CVSS 6.1): Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in phpwhois 4.2.5, as used in the adsense-click-fraud-monitoring plugin 1.7.5…
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