GitHub Advisoryadvisory · Packagist
GHSA-r6hr-vr92-vv28 PHPCSUtils: Remote code execution via eval() in AbstractArrayDeclarationSniff::getActualArrayKey()
HIGH
Official page ↗
- Aliases
- CVE-2026-65954
- Ecosystem
- Packagist
- Packages
- phpcsstandards/phpcsutils
- Severity
- High
- CVSS vector
- CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
- Weaknesses
- CWE-95
- Reviewed
- 2026-09-29
Affected packages
• Packagist phpcsstandards/phpcsutils: >= 1.0.0-alpha1, < 1.2.3 → fixed in 1.2.3
Description
Impact
PHPCSUtils versions 1.0.0-alpha1 through 1.2.2 contain an arbitrary code execution vulnerability in `PHPCSUtils\AbstractSniffs\AbstractArrayDeclarationSniff::getActualArrayKey()`. The vulnerable method is reached by any sniff that extends `AbstractArrayDeclarationSniff` and calls `getActualArrayKey()`.
Running PHPCS over untrusted PHP code through such a sniff, for example, in a CI pipeline that lints pull requests, or on a developer machine reviewing third-party code, could lead to arbitrary command execution on the scanning host.
The vulnerability happens when the method determines the value of an array key using `eval()`. A maliciously crafted array key such as `'system'('id')` would be executed when the code was scanned.
Known attack vectors
Known code paths that reach the vulnerable method include the following PHPCSExtra sniffs:
• `Universal.Arrays.DuplicateArrayKey`
• `Universal.Arrays.MixedArrayKeyTypes`
Other packages that call `AbstractArrayDeclarationSniff::getActualArrayKey()` may also be vulnerable.
Patches
This issue has been fixed in PHPCSUtils 1.2.3. We recommend all users upgrade to 1.2.3 or later.
Workaround
Users who cannot upgrade immediately can disable the sniffs that reach the vulnerable method by adding `` tags to their custom ruleset (replace the placeholder standard and sniff names with the ones used in your setup):
```xml
```
For example, to disable the two PHPCSExtra sniffs listed under "Known attack vectors":
```xml
```
To verify that the sniffs have been disabled, run PHPCS with the `-e` flag, which lists all the sniffs a standard will run. The excluded sniffs should no longer appear in the output:
```
phpcs -e --standard=/path/to/ruleset.xml
```
Credits
Many thanks to @rodrigoprimo for responsibly disclosing this vulnerability.
How can I report a security bug?
Please report security vulnerabilities privately via the "Security and quality" tab on the PHPCSUtils repository.
Related
Alias · CVE (1)
- CVE-2026-65954 PHPCSUtils is a suite of utility functions for use with PHP_CodeSniffer. vulnerability
Weakness · CWE (1)
- CWE-95 Improper Neutralization of Directives in Dynamically Evaluated Code weakness
References
- https://github.com/PHPCSStandards/PHPCSUtils/security/advisories/GHSA-r6hr-vr92-vv28 web
- https://github.com/PHPCSStandards/PHPCSUtils/pull/778 web
- https://github.com/PHPCSStandards/PHPCSUtils/commit/9f596b50ea4498ea57b8cb341e920233b044debf web
- https://github.com/FriendsOfPHP/security-advisories/blob/master/phpcsstandards/phpcsutils/CVE-2026-65954.yaml web
- https://github.com/PHPCSStandards/PHPCSUtils package