CVE-2021-21703

PHP-FPM memory access in root process leading to privilege escalation

HIGH
7
CVSS Score
Published: October 25, 2021 at 05:40 AM UTC
Updated: June 17, 2026 at 03:36 AM UTC
5 products affected across 5 vendorsDebian LinuxFedoraPHP

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Severity
HIGH7
Exploit prediction
EPSS 1%

Description

In PHP versions 7.3.x up to and including 7.3.31, 7.4.x below 7.4.25 and 8.0.x below 8.0.12, when running PHP FPM SAPI with main FPM daemon process running as root and child worker processes running as lower-privileged users, it is possible for the child processes to access memory shared with the main process and write to it, modifying it in a way that would cause the root process to conduct invalid memory reads and writes, which can be used to escalate privileges from local unprivileged user to the root user.

Affected

Our own answer: ranges merged, affected separated from platform-only, with confidence and review flags.

PHP· PHPdrupal
95%
7.3.0 ≤ v ≤ 7.3.317.3.x ≤ v ≤ 7.3.317.4.0 ≤ v < 7.4.257.4.x ≤ v < 7.4.258.0.0 ≤ v < 8.0.128.0.X ≤ v < 8.0.127.3.x7.4.x8.0.X
Affected range stops below 7.4.25, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement
Affected range stops below 8.0.12, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement

CVSS

Attack Vector
LOCAL
Complexity
HIGH
Privileges
LOW
User Interaction
NONE
Scope
UNCHANGED
Confidentiality
HIGH
Integrity
HIGH
Availability
HIGH
Vector?

Quick Info

StatusMODIFIED
CWE
CWE-284CWE-787

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