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High

Missing input validation can lead to command execution in composer

  • Disclosed: 22.04.2022
  • Updated: 11.10.2026 10:22

The Composer method VcsDriver::getFileContent() with user-controlled $file or $identifier arguments is susceptible to an argument injection vulnerability. It can be leveraged to gain arbitrary command execution if the Mercurial or the Git driver are used.

This led to a vulnerability on Packagist.org and Private Packagist, i.e., using the composer.json readme field as a vector for injecting parameters into the $file argument for the Mercurial driver or via the $identifier argument for the Git and Mercurial drivers.

Composer itself can be attacked through branch names by anyone controlling a Git or Mercurial repository, which is explicitly listed by URL in a project's composer.json.

To the best of our knowledge, this was not actively exploited. The vulnerability has been patched on Packagist.org and Private Packagist within a day of the vulnerability report.

Affected software

Click a technology to see all vulnerabilities affecting it.

PlatformPackageVulnerable versionsFixed in
Composer package composer/composer < 1.10.26, >= 2.0, < 2.2.12, >= 2.3, < 2.3.5 1.10.26, 2.2.12, 2.3.5

References

CVSS score 8.3/10
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
Weakness (CWE)
CWE-20, CWE-88, CWE-94
Platform
Composer
Package
composer/composer
Disclosed
22.04.2022
Updated
11.10.2026 10:22

Sources and licenses

OSV / GitHub Advisory Database - GHSA-x7cr-6qr6-2hh6 - CC BY 4.0

Vulnerability history: composer/composer

All published vulnerabilities of this package (Composer package), newest first. Shows whether this is a one-off slip or a package that needs watching.

All (17) in the archive
Total entries
17
First → latest
04.2021 10.2026
Without a fix
0
Exploited in attacks
0

Severity breakdown

  • High 13
  • Medium 3
  • Low 1

Disclosures per year

Severity:
  1. Composer arbitrary command execution via a malicious package's Perforce source URL
    High CVE-2026-84361 >= 2.3.0, < 2.10.3, >= 1.0, < 2.2.30 2.10.3, 2.2.30
  2. Composer: Arbitrary file write outside vendor via malicious transitive package name
    High · 7.0 CVE-2026-59948 >= 2.3.0, < 2.10.2, >= 1.0.0, < 2.2.29 2.10.2, 2.2.29
  3. Github Actions issued GITHUB_TOKEN disclosure in GitHub Actions logs
    High · 7.5 CVE-2026-45793 >= 2.3.0, < 2.9.8, >= 2.0.0, < 2.2.28, >= 1.0, < 1.10.28 2.9.8, 2.2.28, 1.10.28
  4. Composer has a command injection via malicious perforce repository
    High · 7.8 CVE-2026-40176 >= 2.3.0, < 2.9.6, >= 1.0.0, < 2.2.27 2.9.6, 2.2.27
  5. Composer has a command injection via malicious perforce reference
    High · 8.8 CVE-2026-40261 >= 2.3.0, < 2.9.6, >= 1.0.0, < 2.2.27 2.9.6, 2.2.27
  6. Composer has a command injection via malicious git branch name
    High · 8.8 CVE-2024-35241 >= 2.0, < 2.2.24, >= 2.3, < 2.7.7 2.2.24, 2.7.7
  7. Composer has multiple command injections via malicious git/hg branch names
    High · 8.8 CVE-2024-35242 >= 2.0, < 2.2.24, >= 2.3, < 2.7.7 2.2.24, 2.7.7
  8. Composer code execution and possible privilege escalation via compromised InstalledVersions.php or installed.php
    High · 8.8 CVE-2024-24821 >= 2.0.0-alpha1, < 2.2.23, >= 2.3.0-rc1, < 2.7.0 2.2.23, 2.7.0
  9. Composer Remote Code Execution vulnerability via web-accessible composer.phar
    High · 8.8 CVE-2023-43655 < 1.10.27, >= 2.0.0, < 2.2.22, >= 2.3.0, < 2.6.4 1.10.27, 2.2.22, 2.6.4
  10. Composer allows cache poisoning from other projects built on the same host
    High · 8.8 CVE-2015-8371 < 1.0.0 1.0.0
  11. Missing input validation can lead to command execution in composer this entry
    High · 8.3 CVE-2022-24828 < 1.10.26, >= 2.0, < 2.2.12, >= 2.3, < 2.3.5 1.10.26, 2.2.12, 2.3.5
  12. Improper escaping of command arguments on Windows leading to command injection
    High · 8.2 CVE-2021-41116 < 1.10.23, >= 2.0.0-alpha1, < 2.1.9 1.10.23, 2.1.9
  13. Composer's missing argument delimiter can lead to code execution via VCS repository URLs or source download URLs on systems with Mercurial
    High · 8.8 CVE-2021-29472 < 1.10.22, >= 2.0.0-alpha1, < 2.0.13 1.10.22, 2.0.13

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