CVE-2025-54418

CodeIgniter is a PHP full-stack web framework. A command injection vulnerability present in versions prior to 4.6.2 affects applications that use the ImageMagick handler for image processing (imagick as the image library) and either allow file uploads with user-controlled filenames and process uploaded images using the resize() method or use the text() method with user-controlled text content or options. An attacker can upload a file with a malicious filename containing shell metacharacters that get executed when the image is processed or provide malicious text content or options that get executed when adding text to images Users should upgrade to v4.6.2 or later to receive a patch. As a workaround, switch to the GD image handler (gd, the default handler), which is not affected by either vulnerability. For file upload scenarios, instead of using user-provided filenames, generate random names to eliminate the attack vector with getRandomName() when using the move() method, or use the store() method, which automatically generates safe filenames. For text operations, if one must use ImageMagick with user-controlled text, sanitize the input to only allow safe characters and validate/restrict text options.

CodeIgniter is a PHP full-stack web framework. A command injection vulnerability present in versions prior to 4.6.2 affects applications that use the ImageMagick handler for image processing (imagick as the image library) and either allow file uploads with user-controlled filenames and process uploaded images using the resize() method or use the text() method with user-controlled text content or options. An attacker can upload a file with a malicious filename containing shell metacharacters that get executed when the image is processed or provide malicious text content or options that get executed when adding text to images Users should upgrade to v4.6.2 or later to receive a patch. As a workaround, switch to the GD image handler (gd, the default handler), which is not affected by either vulnerability. For file upload scenarios, instead of using user-provided filenames, generate random names to eliminate the attack vector with getRandomName() when using the move() method, or use the store() method, which automatically generates safe filenames. For text operations, if one must use ImageMagick with user-controlled text, sanitize the input to only allow safe characters and validate/restrict text options.

Impact

This vulnerability affects applications that:

• Use the ImageMagick handler for image processing (imagick as the image library)
• AND either:
  • Allow file uploads with user-controlled filenames and process uploaded images using the resize() method
  • OR use the text() method with user-controlled text content or options

An attacker can:

• Upload a file with a malicious filename containing shell metacharacters that get executed when the image is processed
• OR provide malicious text content or options that get executed when adding text to images

Patches

Upgrade to v4.6.2 or later.

Workarounds

• Switch to the GD image handler (gd, the default handler), which is not affected by either vulnerability
• For file upload scenarios: Instead of using user-provided filenames, generate random names to eliminate the attack vector with getRandomName() when using the move() method, or use the store() method, which automatically generates safe filenames
• For text operations: If you must use ImageMagick with user-controlled text, sanitize the input to only allow safe characters: preg_replace('/[^a-zA-Z0-9\s.,!?-]/', '', $text) and validate/restrict text options

References

• OWASP Command Injection Prevention
• CWE-78: OS Command Injection

CodeIgniter is a PHP full-stack web framework. A command injection vulnerability present in versions prior to 4.6.2 affects applications that use the ImageMagick handler for image processing (imagick as the image library) and either allow file uploads with user-controlled filenames and process uploaded images using the resize() method or use the text() method with user-controlled text content or options. An attacker can upload a file with a malicious filename containing shell metacharacters that get executed when the image is processed or provide malicious text content or options that get executed when adding text to images Users should upgrade to v4.6.2 or later to receive a patch. As a workaround, switch to the GD image handler (gd, the default handler), which is not affected by either vulnerability. For file upload scenarios, instead of using user-provided filenames, generate random names to eliminate the attack vector with getRandomName() when using the move() method, or use the store() method, which automatically generates safe filenames. For text operations, if one must use ImageMagick with user-controlled text, sanitize the input to only allow safe characters and validate/restrict text options.

CodeIgniter is a PHP full-stack web framework. A command injection vulnerability present in versions prior to 4.6.2 affects applications that use the ImageMagick handler for image processing (imagick as the image library) and either allow file uploads with user-controlled filenames and process uploaded images using the resize() method or use the text() method with user-controlled text content or options. An attacker can upload a file with a malicious filename containing shell metacharacters that get executed when the image is processed or provide malicious text content or options that get executed when adding text to images Users should upgrade to v4.6.2 or later to receive a patch. As a workaround, switch to the GD image handler (gd, the default handler), which is not affected by either vulnerability. For file upload scenarios, instead of using user-provided filenames, generate random names to eliminate the attack vector with getRandomName() when using the move() method, or use the store() method, which automatically generates safe filenames. For text operations, if one must use ImageMagick with user-controlled text, sanitize the input to only allow safe characters and validate/restrict text options.

Impact

This vulnerability affects applications that:

• Use the ImageMagick handler for image processing (imagick as the image library)
• AND either:
  • Allow file uploads with user-controlled filenames and process uploaded images using the resize() method
  • OR use the text() method with user-controlled text content or options

An attacker can:

• Upload a file with a malicious filename containing shell metacharacters that get executed when the image is processed
• OR provide malicious text content or options that get executed when adding text to images

Patches

Upgrade to v4.6.2 or later.

Workarounds

• Switch to the GD image handler (gd, the default handler), which is not affected by either vulnerability
• For file upload scenarios: Instead of using user-provided filenames, generate random names to eliminate the attack vector with getRandomName() when using the move() method, or use the store() method, which automatically generates safe filenames
• For text operations: If you must use ImageMagick with user-controlled text, sanitize the input to only allow safe characters: preg_replace('/[^a-zA-Z0-9\s.,!?-]/', '', $text) and validate/restrict text options

References

• OWASP Command Injection Prevention
• CWE-78: OS Command Injection