DoS via int overflow PHP 8.x metaphone() (before 8.2.31/8.3.31/8.4.21/8.5.6)
CVE-2026-7568 Published on May 10, 2026
Signed integer overflow in metaphone()
In PHP versions 8.2.* before 8.2.31, 8.3.* before 8.3.31, 8.4.* before 8.4.21, and 8.5.* before 8.5.6, the metaphone() function in ext/standard/metaphone.c uses a signed int variable to track the current position within the input string. If a string longer than 2,147,483,647 bytes is passed, a signed integer overflow occurs, resulting in undefined behavior. This can lead to an out-of-bounds read, causing a segmentation fault or access to unrelated memory, and may affect the availability of the PHP process.
Weakness Types
Integer Overflow or Wraparound
The software performs a calculation that can produce an integer overflow or wraparound, when the logic assumes that the resulting value will always be larger than the original value. This can introduce other weaknesses when the calculation is used for resource management or execution control. An integer overflow or wraparound occurs when an integer value is incremented to a value that is too large to store in the associated representation. When this occurs, the value may wrap to become a very small or negative number. While this may be intended behavior in circumstances that rely on wrapping, it can have security consequences if the wrap is unexpected. This is especially the case if the integer overflow can be triggered using user-supplied inputs. This becomes security-critical when the result is used to control looping, make a security decision, or determine the offset or size in behaviors such as memory allocation, copying, concatenation, etc.
Out-of-bounds Read
The software reads data past the end, or before the beginning, of the intended buffer. Typically, this can allow attackers to read sensitive information from other memory locations or cause a crash. A crash can occur when the code reads a variable amount of data and assumes that a sentinel exists to stop the read operation, such as a NUL in a string. The expected sentinel might not be located in the out-of-bounds memory, causing excessive data to be read, leading to a segmentation fault or a buffer overflow. The software may modify an index or perform pointer arithmetic that references a memory location that is outside of the boundaries of the buffer. A subsequent read operation then produces undefined or unexpected results.
Products Associated with CVE-2026-7568
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Affected Versions
PHP Group PHP:- Version 8.2.* and below 8.2.31 is affected.
- Version 8.3.* and below 8.3.31 is affected.
- Version 8.4.* and below 8.4.21 is affected.
- Version 8.5.* and below 8.5.6 is affected.