CVE-2026-55555

CVE-2026-55555 is a high-severity vulnerability in Dompdf Project Dompdf with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5. 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-203.

Key facts

Description

Dompdf is an HTML to PDF converter for PHP. Versions 3.15 and prior are vulnerable to a File Existence Oracle attack through the manipulation of the CSS @font-face directive. By providing malicious HTML that references local files via the file:// protocol repeatedly, an attacker can trigger PHP memory exhaustion. Because Dompdf behaves differently depending on whether a referenced local file exists (an existing file is processed repeatedly until it triggers an "Allowed memory size exhausted" crash, whereas a missing file fails fast or is ignored and never hits the memory limit), an attacker can use this observable discrepancy as an oracle to enumerate sensitive files on the server regardless of CHROOT restrictions. Exploitation requires the attacker to supply unrestricted or unsanitized HTML in a request that permits large data, plus a configuration where Dompdf's memory limit is low enough to be exhausted (with  $_dompdf_show_warnings=true  making the overflow easier to reach). This issue has been fixed in version 3.16.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2026-55555?
Dompdf is an HTML to PDF converter for PHP. Versions 3.15 and prior are vulnerable to a File Existence Oracle attack through the manipulation of the CSS @font-face directive. By providing malicious HTML that references local files via the file:// protocol repeatedly, an attacker can trigger PHP memory exhaustion. Because Dompdf behaves differently depending on whether a referenced local file exists (an existing file is processed repeatedly until it triggers an "Allowed memory size exhausted" crash, whereas a missing file fails fast or is ignored and never hits the memory limit), an attacker can use this observable discrepancy as an oracle to enumerate sensitive files on the server regardless of CHROOT restrictions. Exploitation requires the attacker to supply unrestricted or unsanitized HTML in a request that permits large data, plus a configuration where Dompdf's memory limit is low enough to be exhausted (with  $_dompdf_show_warnings=true  making the overflow easier to reach). This issue has been fixed in version 3.16.
How severe is CVE-2026-55555?
CVE-2026-55555 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity none, and availability none.
Is CVE-2026-55555 being actively exploited?
It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (41st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2026-55555?
CVE-2026-55555 affects Dompdf Project Dompdf. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2026-55555?
Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2026-55555 published?
CVE-2026-55555 was published on 2026-07-28 and last updated on 2026-08-05.

References

Affected products (1)

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