CVE-2016-4072: The Phar extension in PHP before 5.5.34, 5.6.x before 5.6.20, and 7.x before 7.0.5 allows remote attackers...

Security readout for executives and security teams

Older PHP versions have a flaw in the Phar archive extension. A specially crafted filename could cause PHP to run attacker-controlled code. Sources identify fixed upstream PHP releases: 5.5.34, 5.6.20, and 7.0.5. Treat internet-facing or file-processing PHP services on older runtimes as urgent to verify. Exposure is most likely where affected PHP versions run with Phar functionality and process attacker-influenced filenames or archive paths. The bundle does not identify specific application frameworks, hosting products, or default exploit paths. Prioritize remediation where legacy PHP handles external input or public web traffic. The business risk is code execution on aging runtime infrastructure, but the source bundle does not prove current exploitation. Mitigation focus: Upgrade PHP to 5.5.34, 5.6.20, 7.0.5, or a later supported release.; Apply distribution vendor updates from Ubuntu, Debian, Red Hat, Gentoo, Apple, or HPE as applicable.; Prioritize unsupported PHP 5.x and early PHP 7.0 systems for replacement..

Prepared

Jun 13, 2026, 14:22 UTC (UTC+00:00)

Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.