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Executive Summary

Critical vulnerabilities, CVE-2026-109618 and CVE-2026-109619, affecting PHP itself have been disclosed, possessing a CVSS v4.0 score of 9.2. Since exploitation in the wild has been reported, immediate action is required for any system utilizing vulnerable PHP versions. PHP developers have released fixes in specific versions (8.5.12, 8.4.27, 8.3.36, and 8.2.35). While updating directly to these patched versions or utilizing available Aikido Images is the primary solution, some users may require temporary mitigation strategies if immediate patching is impossible. These measures involve specific PHP configuration settings like disabling session upload progress and setting memory limits in a non-overridable manner, alongside blocking certain POST requests. Furthermore, systems running older, unsupported versions (like 8.1 or below) face the challenge of needing either an upgrade or relying on vendor-specific backported fixes.

Facts Only

Two critical remote code execution vulnerabilities, CVE-2026-109618 and CVE-2026-109619, were found in PHP. Both vulnerabilities have a CVSS v4.0 score of 9.2. PHP released fixes in versions 8.5.12, 8.4.27, 8.3.36, and 8.2.35. Exploitation has been reported in the wild. Updates are available; users must update PHP immediately if it is used anywhere in their stack. Patched Aikido Images for versions 8.2 through 8.5 are publicly available on the Aikido ECR. For specific version updates, recommended image tags were provided (e.g., php:8.2.34-fpm). Systems running PHP 8.1 or older require an upgrade or a vendor-provided backport as the project no longer supports them.

Full Take

The urgency framed by the vulnerability disclosure centers on a collision between software robustness and operational reality—the immediate demand for remediation versus the friction of system downtime required for updates. The central assumption underpinning the advisory is that patches represent the singular point of security resolution; however, this implies an acceptable trade-off: temporary exposure mitigation via configuration changes must suffice until the technical debt of updating can be cleared. This situation echoes historical patterns where zero-day disclosures force rapid, often disruptive, adherence to vendor timelines, placing administrative burden squarely on the infrastructure owner.
The advice structure reveals two distinct audiences: the technically adept who can follow precise version updates and container image switching, and the less prepared user who is directed toward a layered defensive posture involving configuration tweaks (session limits, POST request blocking). The focus on immediate triage—applying configurations while patching is pending—is crucial, as it attempts to stabilize an environment against known vectors without guaranteeing complete immunity.
The potential for secondary impacts is significant; beyond system compromise from the RCE flaws themselves, a successful exploit could lead to credential exposure if worker memory state is revealed or corrupted. This necessitates thinking about security not just at the application layer (the code), but at the trust boundaries surrounding it (passwords, API keys).
Patterns detected: none

From the original · Aikido Security Research

Update, 15:00 CEST: Patches are now available. Update PHP now.
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What you need to know about PHP2shell. Critical vulnerabilities in PHP (CVE | Huntaegis