CVE-2026-118515
Received Received - Intake

Arbitrary File Upload in Symfony DataUriNormalizer

Vulnerability report for CVE-2026-118515, including description, CVSS score, EPSS score, affected products, exploitability, helpful resources, and attack-flow context.

Publication date: 2026-11-06

Last updated on: 2026-11-06

Assigner: Checkmarx

Description

The Symfony Serializer component DataUriNormalizer handles only the exact types SplFileInfo, SplFileObject, and File, so for a property typed with a subclass such as UploadedFile, ObjectNormalizer instantiates the object through its constructor from attacker-controlled data, including the file path. This allows an arbitrary file on the server to be treated as an uploaded file in Symfony versions prior to 5.4.56, 6.x prior to 6.4.50, 7.x prior to 7.4.23, and 8.x prior to 8.1.11. A request body such as {"image": {"path": "/path/to/project/.env.local", "originalName": "a.png", "test": true}} makes the application handle any file on the server as an upload, without the file being sent. With test: true, UploadedFile::isValid() skips is_uploaded_file() and move() falls back to rename(). Assert\File does not prevent this because it validates the file at the attacker-chosen path, which exists on the server. Any code that deserializes untrusted data into a type that holds such a property is affected. That includes #[MapRequestPayload] on a DTO with an UploadedFile property, which is how uploads are mapped in Symfony 8.1; a single unauthenticated request with a JSON or form body is enough. Depending on what the application does with the upload, this can expose any file readable by PHP (for instance, when uploads are stored and served back), move any such file when move() is called, and reveal whether a path exists. A serializer built without DataUriNormalizer ahead of the object normalizer is not protected by the fix; the serializer configured by FrameworkBundle is.

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Meta Information

Published
2026-11-06
Last Modified
2026-11-06
Generated
2026-11-06
AI Q&A
2026-11-06
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
EUVD

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 4 associated CPEs
Vendor Product Version / Range
symfony serializer to 5.4.56 (exc)
symfony serializer to 6.4.50 (exc)
symfony serializer to 7.4.23 (exc)
symfony serializer to 8.1.11 (exc)

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE
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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-73 The product allows user input to control or influence paths or file names that are used in filesystem operations.

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Executive Summary

This vulnerability in Symfony's Serializer component allows attackers to manipulate file paths when deserializing data into UploadedFile objects. The DataUriNormalizer previously only handled exact file types, causing subclasses like UploadedFile to be processed with user-controlled data. Attackers can craft requests to treat any server file as an uploaded file, bypassing normal validation.

Detection Guidance

Check Symfony application versions for affected releases (<5.4.56, 6.x <6.4.50, 7.x <7.4.23, 8.x <8.1.11). Inspect request logs for payloads containing UploadedFile properties with path fields pointing to sensitive files like .env.local. Use commands like grep to search for DataUriNormalizer usage in custom serializers.

Impact Analysis

An attacker could access sensitive files like .env.local, move files if move() is called, or reveal file existence. Any application deserializing untrusted data into UploadedFile properties is affected. A single unauthenticated request with crafted JSON or form data is enough to exploit this.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive data, violating GDPR's data protection principles and HIPAA's security requirements for protected health information. Exposure of configuration files or sensitive data may result in compliance breaches.

Mitigation Strategies

Upgrade Symfony to patched versions (5.4.56, 6.4.50, 7.4.23, 8.1.11). Ensure DataUriNormalizer is included in custom serializers. Review and sanitize request payloads handling UploadedFile properties. Disable test: true flags in file upload logic.

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0/70

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