CVE-2021-23420
Deserialization of Untrusted Data
This affects the package codeception/codeception from 4.0.0 and before 4.1.22, before 3.1.3. The RunProcess class can be leveraged as a gadget to run arbitrary commands on a system that is deserializing user input without validation.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- High
- Privileges needed
- None
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- Low
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
Deserialization of Untrusted Data
This affects the package codeception/codeception from 4.0.0 and before 4.1.22, before 3.1.3. The RunProcess class can be leveraged as a gadget to run arbitrary commands on a system that is deserializing user input without validation.
- Record
CVE-2021-23420- CVSS 3.1
- 7.7 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:L/E:F/RL:O/RC:C - Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2021-1967
This affects the package codeception/codeception from 4.0.0 and before 4.1.22, before 3.1.3. The RunProcess class can be leveraged as a gadget to run arbitrary commands on a system that is deserializing user input without validation.
- Record
EUVD-2021-1967- CVSS 3.1
- 7.7 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:L/E:F/RL:O/RC:C - Updated
- 2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-4574-qv3w-fcmg
Deserialization of Untrusted Data in codeception/codeception
This affects the package codeception/codeception from 4.0.0 before 4.1.22 and before 3.1.3. The RunProcess class can be leveraged as a gadget to run arbitrary commands on a system that is deserializing user input without validation.
- Record
GHSA-4574-qv3w-fcmg- CVSS 3.1
- 9.8 Critical
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-502
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
NVD
This affects the package codeception/codeception from 4.0.0 and before 4.1.22, before 3.1.3. The RunProcess class can be leveraged as a gadget to run arbitrary commands on a system that is deserializing user input without validation.
- Record
CVE-2021-23420- CVSS 3.1
- 7.7 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:L - CVSS 3.1
- 9.8 Critical
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - CVSS 2.0
- 10.0 High
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C - Weakness
- CWE-502
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSV
This affects the package codeception/codeception from 4.0.0 and before 4.1.22, before 3.1.3. The RunProcess class can be leveraged as a gadget to run arbitrary commands on a system that is deserializing user input without validation.
- Record
CVE-2021-23420- CVSS 3.1
- 9.8 Critical
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVGHSA-4574-qv3w-fcmg
Deserialization of Untrusted Data in codeception/codeception
This affects the package codeception/codeception from 4.0.0 before 4.1.22 and before 3.1.3. The RunProcess class can be leveraged as a gadget to run arbitrary commands on a system that is deserializing user input without validation.
- Record
GHSA-4574-qv3w-fcmg- CVSS 3.1
- 9.8 Critical
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-502
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
Affected packages
| Package | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
codeception/codeceptionPackagist |
4.0.0 up to 4.1.22 | 4.1.22 |
codeception/codeceptionPackagist |
before 3.1.3 | 3.1.3 |
codeception/codeceptionPackagist |
before 3.1.3, plus listed versions 1.0.101.0.111.0.121.0.131.0.14 Show 45 moreShow less1.0.91.1.01.1.21.1.31.1.41.1.51.5.01.5.11.5.21.5.31.5.41.5.51.5.61.5.71.6.01.6.0.11.6.0.31.6.0.41.6.11.6.1.11.6.111.6.121.6.21.6.31.6.3.11.6.41.6.4.11.6.4.21.6.51.6.61.6.71.6.81.6.8.11.7.01.7.0.11.7.0.21.7.11.7.21.7.31.7.41.8.01.8.0.11.8.11.8.21.8.3 |
3.1.3 |
codeception/codeceptionPackagist |
4.0.0 up to 4.1.22, plus listed versions 4.0.14.0.24.0.34.1.04.1.1 Show 19 moreShow less4.1.114.1.124.1.134.1.144.1.154.1.164.1.174.1.184.1.194.1.24.1.204.1.214.1.34.1.44.1.54.1.64.1.74.1.84.1.9 |
4.1.22 |
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| facts | ||
| aliases, published | EUVD | |
| first indexed | CVE List, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2021-23420 is a high vulnerability (CVSS 7.7) in Codeception, published August 11, 2021. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 2.71%, the 86th percentile. Fixed in codeception/codeception 4.1.22.
References
github.com/JinYiTong/poc
snyk.io/vuln/SNYK-PHP-CODECEPTIONCODECEPTION-1324585
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-23420
Show 6 moreShow less
Left out here: 86 versions. The JSON record has them.