Email header injection in CakePHP SMTP and mail transports
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- High
- Attack requirements
- Present
- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- None · Low · None
- Fix status
- No fix listed
Attack profile from CVSS 4.0 · CNA. Fix status from CNA.
Summary
CakePHP versions 4.5.12, 4.6.5, 5.1.8 through 5.1.10, 5.2.14 through 5.2.15, 5.3.7 and 5.4.0 through 5.4.3 are affected. SmtpTransport and MailTransport strip only CRLF pairs from header values, so a bare CR or LF survives (CWE-93). An attacker who controls custom headers set with Message::setHeaders() or Message::addHeaders() can insert headers such as Bcc to redirect or alter outgoing mail.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-05
Description from the CNA
CakePHP 4.5.12, 4.6.5, 5.1.8 through 5.1.10, 5.2.14 through 5.2.15, 5.3.7, and 5.4.0 through 5.4.3 contain an email header injection vulnerability because SmtpTransport and MailTransport strip only CRLF pairs from header values, an incomplete fix for CVE-2026-77634. Attackers controlling custom headers set via Message::setHeaders() or Message::addHeaders() can insert a bare CR or LF to inject headers like Bcc, redirecting or altering outgoing mail.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- No
- Technical impact
- Partial
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| cakephp | cakephp | 4.5.12 – 4.5.12; 4.6.5 – 4.6.5; 5.1.8 – 5.1.10; 5.2.14 – 5.2.15; 5.3.7 – 5.3.7; 5.4.0 – 5.4.3 | — | No fix listed | CNA |
- cakephp Vendorcakephp Affected 4.5.12 – 4.5.12; 4.6.5 – 4.6.5; 5.1.8 – 5.1.10; 5.2.14 – 5.2.15; 5.3.7 – 5.3.7; 5.4.0 – 5.4.3 Fixed in — No fix listed CNA
Remediation
The sources list no fixed version for CakePHP.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-05
Timeline
- 2026-10-30 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-119417
- 2026-10-30 Alias added: GHSA-xmwp-gcgj-p387
- 2026-10-30 CISA SSVC decision points changed
- 2026-10-30 Priority changed: MEDIUM → LOW
References
Patch 5
- https://github.com/cakephp/cakephp/commit/2b9326ca3f17b2e940c6c9f50d821e9929c00f39
- https://github.com/cakephp/cakephp/commit/773587406a29eedc2e0031e12683b08e112cc538
- https://github.com/cakephp/cakephp/commit/3b997318539c48a423b77651c61c9f229cbf9e33
- https://github.com/cakephp/cakephp/commit/e5936b286cc389b1497fd9b675a2133ba9ac557d
- https://github.com/cakephp/cakephp/pull/19695
Advisory 2
More cakephp vulnerabilities
- TI-2010-04068 The _validatePost function in libs/controller/components/security.php in CakePHP 1.3.x… CVSS 2.0HIGH 7.5
- TI-2026-82995 Cookie leakage in CakePHP HTTP client cookie domain matching CVSS 4.0MEDIUM 6.3
- TI-2026-19037 CakePHP PaginatorHelper::limitControl() vulnerable to reflected cross-site-scripting CVSS 3.1MEDIUM 5.4
- TI-2023-08901 Database Query::offset() and limit() vulnerable to SQL injection in cakephp CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2026-54106 CakePHP: FunctionsBuilder::jsonValue() vulerable to SQL injection with PostgresDriver CVSS 4.0CRITICAL 9.2
- TI-2026-55232 CakePHP: Multiple methods in FunctionsBuilder vulnerable to SQL injection CVSS 4.0CRITICAL 9.2
Sources
- CVE-2026-119417 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-119417 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-xmwp-gcgj-p387 · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences