Skip to main content
No exploitation reportedFix available

CVE-2015-8994

No exploitation reported by the sources we read.

  • Published2017-03-02
  • Fixed in7.0.14
  • WeaknessCWE-264

Am I affected?

With a domain, we read the version its public headers and pages expose. A distribution build can carry the fix under an older number.

Description

An issue was discovered in PHP 5.x and 7.x, when the configuration uses apache2handler/mod_php or php-fpm with OpCache enabled. With 5.x after 5.6.28 or 7.x after 7.0.13, the issue is resolved in a non-default configuration with the opcache.validate_permission=1 setting. The vulnerability details are as follows. In PHP SAPIs where PHP interpreters share a common parent process, Zend OpCache creates a shared memory object owned by the common parent during initialization. Child PHP processes inherit the SHM descriptor, using it to cache and retrieve compiled script bytecode ("opcode" in PHP jargon). Cache keys vary depending on configuration, but filename is a central key component, and compiled opcode can generally be run if a script's filename is known or can be guessed. Many common shared-hosting configurations change EUID in child processes to enforce privilege separation among hosted users (for example using mod_ruid2 for the Apache HTTP Server, or php-fpm user settings). In these scenarios, the default Zend OpCache behavior defeats script file permissions by sharing a single SHM cache among all child PHP processes. PHP scripts often contain sensitive information: Think of CMS configurations where reading or running another user's script usually means gaining privileges to the CMS database.

Timeline

dates in UTC
  1. 2017-03-0206:59CVE publishedNVD

Observed activity

isMalicious corpus · updated 2026-10-23 21:37 UTC
Indicators tagged with this CVE, per day0 indicators over 7 days
Block these indicators
  • Firewall list (EDL, text): https://api.ismalicious.com/edl/cve/CVE-2015-8994?format=txt
  • CSV export: https://api.ismalicious.com/edl/cve/CVE-2015-8994?format=csv
  • TAXII collection of exploited CVEs
  • The EDL and CSV take an API key on the Pro plan.

Versions per branch

NVD
PHP
BranchAffectedFixed in
7.0≥ 7.0.0, < 7.0.147.0.14
5.x≥ 5.0.0, ≤ 5.6.29no fix published

as publishedRanges as NVD and OSV publish them; a distribution’s build can be fixed under an older number.

Fix

  1. Update PHP to 7.0.14

Detection

Nuclei template
none so far
ProjectDiscovery
Exploit-DB
no entry
Exploit-DB
Proof-of-concept repositories
none listed
PoC-in-GitHub

Sources

  • NVDCVSS 3.17.5read 2026-10-23
  • NVDCVSS 2.06.8read 2026-10-23
  • NVDweakness (CWE)CWE-264read 2026-10-23
  • FIRST EPSSEPSS score2.9 %2026-10-23

Technical details

CVSS v3 Vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Published
2017-03-02
Last Modified
2026-06-17
NVD status
Modified

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2015-8994?

An issue was discovered in PHP 5.x and 7.x, when the configuration uses apache2handler/mod_php or php-fpm with OpCache enabled. With 5.x after 5.6.28 or 7.x after 7.0.13, the issue is resolved in a non-default configuration with the opcache.validate_permission=1 setting. The vulnerability details are as follows. In PHP SAPIs where PHP interpreters share a common parent process, Zend OpCache creates a shared memory object owned by the common parent during initialization. Child PHP processes inherit the SHM descriptor, using it to cache and retrieve compiled script bytecode ("opcode" in PHP jargon). Cache keys vary depending on configuration, but filename is a central key component, and compiled opcode can generally be run if a script's filename is known or can be guessed. Many common shared-hosting configurations change EUID in child processes to enforce privilege separation among hosted users (for example using mod_ruid2 for the Apache HTTP Server, or php-fpm user settings). In these scenarios, the default Zend OpCache behavior defeats script file permissions by sharing a single SHM cache among all child PHP processes. PHP scripts often contain sensitive information: Think of CMS configurations where reading or running another user's script usually means gaining privileges to the CMS database.

Is CVE-2015-8994 actively exploited?

Active exploitation of CVE-2015-8994 has not been confirmed. Its EPSS score was 2.9% on 2026-10-23, the estimated probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What is the CVSS score for CVE-2015-8994?

CVE-2015-8994 has a CVSS v3 base score of 7.5 (HIGH severity), with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.

Hear about the next vulnerability in your software

Surveillance reads the versions in your stack — a domain, a lockfile or a list — checks each CVE against the ranges its sources publish, and alerts you when one you run is exploited or enters CISA KEV. A version it cannot read stays « version not verified ».

Get alerts for this productCISA KEV additions, October 2026Search CVEs

No credit card required · No monthly cap on website lookups · 250 API requests/month

Go further

Related vulnerabilities

Same product first, then the same vendor advisory and the same publication week.

Back to CVE Database