Vulnerability Database

352,427

Total vulnerabilities in the database

CVE-2026-48062 — codeigniter4 / framework

Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type

Impact

The ext_in upload validation rule checked the MIME-derived guessed extension instead of the client-provided filename extension. As a result, an uploaded file named shell.php containing GIF-like content could pass validation such as:

uploaded[avatar]|is_image[avatar]|mime_in[avatar,image/gif]|ext_in[avatar,gif]

because the detected MIME type maps to gif, even though the uploaded filename extension is php.

Applications are impacted if they:

  • accept user-controlled uploads,
  • rely on ext_in to validate the uploaded filename extension,
  • save uploaded files using the original client filename: $file->move($path),
  • store uploads in a web-accessible directory,
  • and allow PHP or other executable files to run from that directory.

In those conditions, this may lead to arbitrary code execution. The default application does not expose such an upload endpoint.

Patches

Upgrade to v4.7.3 or later.

Workarounds

  • Save uploads outside the public web root, preferably under writable/uploads
  • Use $file->store() or $file->move($path, $file->getRandomName()) instead of preserving the original filename
  • Disable script execution in any public upload directory
  • Manually verify the client filename extension before moving the file
  • Reject files when $file->getClientExtension() is not in the allowed list or does not match $file->guessExtension()

Resources

CVSS v3:

  • Severity: Critical
  • Score: 9.8
  • AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CWEs:

Frequently Asked Questions

A security vulnerability is a weakness in software, hardware, or configuration that can be exploited to compromise confidentiality, integrity, or availability. Many vulnerabilities are tracked as CVEs (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures), which provide a standardized identifier so teams can coordinate patching, mitigation, and risk assessment across tools and vendors.

CVSS (Common Vulnerability Scoring System) estimates technical severity, but it doesn't automatically equal business risk. Prioritize using context like internet exposure, affected asset criticality, known exploitation (proof-of-concept or in-the-wild), and whether compensating controls exist. A "Medium" CVSS on an exposed, production system can be more urgent than a "Critical" on an isolated, non-production host.

A vulnerability is the underlying weakness. An exploit is the method or code used to take advantage of it. A zero-day is a vulnerability that is unknown to the vendor or has no publicly available fix when attackers begin using it. In practice, risk increases sharply when exploitation becomes reliable or widespread.

Recurring findings usually come from incomplete Asset Discovery, inconsistent patch management, inherited images, and configuration drift. In modern environments, you also need to watch the software supply chain: dependencies, containers, build pipelines, and third-party services can reintroduce the same weakness even after you patch a single host. Unknown or unmanaged assets (often called Shadow IT) are a common reason the same issues resurface.

Use a simple, repeatable triage model: focus first on externally exposed assets, high-value systems (identity, VPN, email, production), vulnerabilities with known exploits, and issues that enable remote code execution or privilege escalation. Then enforce patch SLAs and track progress using consistent metrics so remediation is steady, not reactive.

SynScan combines attack surface monitoring and continuous security auditing to keep your inventory current, flag high-impact vulnerabilities early, and help you turn raw findings into a practical remediation plan.