F5 Labs May 2025: PHPUnit CVE-2017-9841 still top-targeted CVE; injection-driven RCE dominates 12-month CWE and OWASP analysis
F5 Labs, using attack telemetry from Efflux sensors, reports that CVE-2017-9841 (PHPUnit eval-stdin.php RCE) remained the most targeted vulnerability in May 2025 with over 54,000 instances. CVE-2020-8958 (Guangzhou ONU command injection RCE) shows near-exponential targeting growth for a third consecutive month. CVE-2024-3721 (TBK DVR OS command injection) re-entered the top 10 with roughly a 60% increase and a 0.2 EPSS jump, which F5 speculates is linked to recent Mirai activity reported by Kaspersky. A 12-month analysis mapping the top CVEs to primary CWEs and OWASP Top Ten categories shows attacker focus on injection flaws leading to RCE, notably CWE-94 (Code Injection) and CWE-77 (Command Injection). F5 saw no KEV changes among the May top ten.
4 exploits públicos
Há código de exploração publicado no Exploit-DB para CVE-2023-1389, CVE-2017-9841, CVE-2019-9082. O código não é reproduzido aqui: o link leva à fonte, e a explicação foi escrita pela IA a partir do arquivo publicado.
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TP-Link Archer AX21 - Unauthenticated Command Injection
This script exploits CVE-2023-1389, a command injection in the web interface of the TP-Link Archer AX21, where the country setting of the locale handler reaches a shell unsanitized. The attacker needs only network reach to the router's web interface, no login, and firmware older than 1.1.4 Build 20230219. Sending the crafted request twice runs commands as root, and here it opens a reverse shell to the attacker. It is a short but working proof of concept that matches the listed CVE.
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PHP Unit 4.8.28 - Remote Code Execution (RCE) (Unauthenticated)
This script exploits CVE-2017-9841: PHPUnit's eval-stdin helper, when left reachable in a web-exposed vendor directory, executes any PHP code sent in an HTTP request body. The attacker needs only network access to a site that deployed PHPUnit (a dev dependency) publicly, with no login or user interaction. The tool checks several common framework layouts with a harmless test, then offers an interactive prompt that runs system commands as the web server user. It is a simple, working exploit that matches the CVE.
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ThinkPHP - Multiple PHP Injection RCEs (Metasploit)
This Metasploit module exploits remote code execution in the ThinkPHP 5.x web framework through the public index page, where a crafted request makes the framework call a PHP function with attacker-chosen input. The attacker needs only network access to the web server, with no login or user interaction, and a ThinkPHP version up to 5.0.23. The module reads the version from an error page and picks one of two techniques, one per CVE. It runs system commands as the web server user and can drop a Linux payload for a remote session. It is a mature, working exploit.
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zzzphp CMS 1.6.1 - Cross-Site Request Forgery
This is a cross-site request forgery proof of concept against the zzzphp CMS 1.6.1 admin panel, in the template file editing function. The admin save form has no anti-CSRF token, so a malicious web page can silently submit a forged edit. The attacker only needs to lure a logged-in administrator to that page; no credentials or local access are required. The forged edit writes a PHP expression into a site template, which the CMS later evaluates, leading to remote code execution. It is a simple, working-looking PoC (unverified), and the author describes it as a follow-up to CVE-2019-9041.
Detalhes técnicos
- Other CVEs in the May top five: CVE-2019-9082 (ThinkPHP PHP injection RCE, steady activity), CVE-2020-11625 (AvertX camera username enumeration) and CVE-2023-1389 (TP-Link Archer AX21 command injection RCE, which broke its downward trend).
- CWE ranking by annual traffic: CWE-94 first (driven by CVE-2017-9841), CWE-77 second with the greatest CVE diversity. CWE-787 (out-of-bounds write) ranks surprisingly high, which F5 attributes to a small sample size and the visibility of SSL-VPN exploitation.
- CWE-22 and CWE-284 rank low because CVEs are mapped to a single primary CWE and RCE is the dominant attacker motivation.
- OWASP mapping: A03:2021 Injection leads clearly, A01:2021 Broken Access Control is underrepresented, and many categories have no attributed traffic. CVE-2020-11625 (CWE-203) and CVE-2022-42475 (buffer overflow) map to no OWASP category.
- Related ATT&CK techniques cited: Exploit Public-Facing Application (T1190) and Command and Scripting Interpreter (T1059).
Remediação
- Scan environments for vulnerabilities aggressively and patch high-priority vulnerabilities as soon as feasible.
- Use a WAF or similar tool to detect and stop web exploits.
- Engage a DDoS mitigation service.
- Monitor anomalous outbound traffic to identify devices participating in DDoS attacks.
Linha do tempo
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F5 Labs May 2025: PHPUnit CVE-2017-9841 still top-targeted CVE; injection-driven RCE dominates 12-month CWE and OWASP analysis
ler a análise desta fonte ocultar
F5 Labs, using attack telemetry from Efflux sensors, reports that CVE-2017-9841 (PHPUnit eval-stdin.php RCE) remained the most targeted vulnerability in May 2025 with over 54,000 instances. CVE-2020-8958 (Guangzhou ONU command injection RCE) shows near-exponential targeting growth for a third consecutive month. CVE-2024-3721 (TBK DVR OS command injection) re-entered the top 10 with roughly a 60% increase and a 0.2 EPSS jump, which F5 speculates is linked to recent Mirai activity reported by Kaspersky. A 12-month analysis mapping the top CVEs to primary CWEs and OWASP Top Ten categories shows attacker focus on injection flaws leading to RCE, notably CWE-94 (Code Injection) and CWE-77 (Command Injection). F5 saw no KEV changes among the May top ten.
Technical Details
- Other CVEs in the May top five: CVE-2019-9082 (ThinkPHP PHP injection RCE, steady activity), CVE-2020-11625 (AvertX camera username enumeration) and CVE-2023-1389 (TP-Link Archer AX21 command injection RCE, which broke its downward trend).
- CWE ranking by annual traffic: CWE-94 first (driven by CVE-2017-9841), CWE-77 second with the greatest CVE diversity. CWE-787 (out-of-bounds write) ranks surprisingly high, which F5 attributes to a small sample size and the visibility of SSL-VPN exploitation.
- CWE-22 and CWE-284 rank low because CVEs are mapped to a single primary CWE and RCE is the dominant attacker motivation.
- OWASP mapping: A03:2021 Injection leads clearly, A01:2021 Broken Access Control is underrepresented, and many categories have no attributed traffic. CVE-2020-11625 (CWE-203) and CVE-2022-42475 (buffer overflow) map to no OWASP category.
- Related ATT&CK techniques cited: Exploit Public-Facing Application (T1190) and Command and Scripting Interpreter (T1059).
Remediation
- Scan environments for vulnerabilities aggressively and patch high-priority vulnerabilities as soon as feasible.
- Use a WAF or similar tool to detect and stop web exploits.
- Engage a DDoS mitigation service.
- Monitor anomalous outbound traffic to identify devices participating in DDoS attacks.