CVE-2026-59859

Kiota is an OpenAPI based HTTP Client code generator. Prior to 1.29.1 and 1.32.4, Kiota's PHP generator embedded OpenAPI description, default fields, property names, and other schema-derived strings into PHP double-quoted literals through SanitizeDoubleQuote() in Writers/StringExtensions.cs without escaping $, allowing attacker-controlled ${...}, $var, or {$obj->prop} interpolation constructs to inject arbitrary PHP code into generated model and request-builder classes. This issue is fixed in version 1.29.1 and 1.32.4.

Kiota is an OpenAPI based HTTP Client code generator. Prior to 1.29.1 and 1.32.4, Kiota's PHP generator embedded OpenAPI description, default fields, property names, and other schema-derived strings into PHP double-quoted literals through SanitizeDoubleQuote() in Writers/StringExtensions.cs without escaping $, allowing attacker-controlled ${...}, $var, or {$obj->prop} interpolation constructs to inject arbitrary PHP code into generated model and request-builder classes. This issue is fixed in version 1.29.1 and 1.32.4.

Impact

The Kiota PHP code generator is vulnerable to a code generation literal injection attack. The generator embeds string values from OpenAPI fields (e.g. description, default values, and property names) directly into PHP double-quoted string literals without properly escaping the $ character. Since PHP evaluates string interpolation expressions like "${expr}", "$var", and "{$obj->prop}" within double-quoted strings at runtime, an attacker who controls an OpenAPI specification file can inject arbitrary PHP code into generated model and request-builder classes.

Who is impacted

Developers using Kiota to generate PHP API clients from external or untrusted OpenAPI specifications

Teams with CI/CD pipelines configured to automatically regenerate client code from remote specs

Applications that deploy generated PHP code to production servers

Vulnerability details

Affected component: StringExtensions.cs

Root cause: The shared SanitizeDoubleQuote() function in Writers/StringExtensions.cs does not escape the $ character. As a result, any schema-derived string emitted as a PHP double-quoted literal preserves $-prefixed interpolation constructs (${...}, $var, {$...}) verbatim, which PHP evaluates at runtime instead of treating as literal text. This is the same class of code-generation literal-injection flaw previously fixed for the Ruby generator (# interpolation), recurring here as a missed variant for PHP's $ interpolation in the sibling sanitizer helper.

Attack vectors

OpenAPI description and default fields in schema properties

Property wire-name keys embedded in deserializer/serializer methods

Any schema-derived string embedded in PHP double-quoted literals

Severity: Critical when generated code reaches production; High for CI/CD environments with access to production secrets; Medium for public third-party specs; Low for developer-controlled specs.

Patches

#7863

Workarounds

If you cannot upgrade immediately:

1. Audit and sanitize OpenAPI specifications: Review all OpenAPI specification files for any descriptions, default values, or property names containing the $ character. Remove or replace any suspicious strings before code generation.
2. Code review of generated files: Implement mandatory code review of all generated PHP files before merging into any branch. Look for double-quoted strings containing ${, $var, or {$ patterns.
3. Restrict specification sources: Only consume OpenAPI specifications from trusted internal sources. Avoid automatic code generation from external or third-party APIs until this patch is applied.
4. Isolate generated code from production: Do not deploy generated PHP models to production environments unless the specification source has been verified and reviewed.
5. Manual escaping (temporary): If regeneration is not possible, manually inspect and edit generated files to escape any $ characters in double-quoted string literals (replace $ with \$).

Remediation

Upgrade Kiota to 1.29.1, 1.32.4, or later.

Regenerate/refresh existing generated clients as a precaution:

Refreshing generated clients ensures previously generated vulnerable code is replaced with hardened output.

Kiota is an OpenAPI based HTTP Client code generator. Prior to 1.29.1 and 1.32.4, Kiota's PHP generator embedded OpenAPI description, default fields, property names, and other schema-derived strings into PHP double-quoted literals through SanitizeDoubleQuote() in Writers/StringExtensions.cs without escaping $, allowing attacker-controlled ${...}, $var, or {$obj->prop} interpolation constructs to inject arbitrary PHP code into generated model and request-builder classes. This issue is fixed in version 1.29.1 and 1.32.4.

Kiota is an OpenAPI based HTTP Client code generator. Prior to 1.29.1 and 1.32.4, Kiota's PHP generator embedded OpenAPI description, default fields, property names, and other schema-derived strings into PHP double-quoted literals through SanitizeDoubleQuote() in Writers/StringExtensions.cs without escaping $, allowing attacker-controlled ${...}, $var, or {$obj->prop} interpolation constructs to inject arbitrary PHP code into generated model and request-builder classes. This issue is fixed in version 1.29.1 and 1.32.4.

Impact

The Kiota PHP code generator is vulnerable to a code generation literal injection attack. The generator embeds string values from OpenAPI fields (e.g. description, default values, and property names) directly into PHP double-quoted string literals without properly escaping the $ character. Since PHP evaluates string interpolation expressions like "${expr}", "$var", and "{$obj->prop}" within double-quoted strings at runtime, an attacker who controls an OpenAPI specification file can inject arbitrary PHP code into generated model and request-builder classes.

Who is impacted

Developers using Kiota to generate PHP API clients from external or untrusted OpenAPI specifications

Teams with CI/CD pipelines configured to automatically regenerate client code from remote specs

Applications that deploy generated PHP code to production servers

Vulnerability details

Affected component: StringExtensions.cs

Root cause: The shared SanitizeDoubleQuote() function in Writers/StringExtensions.cs does not escape the $ character. As a result, any schema-derived string emitted as a PHP double-quoted literal preserves $-prefixed interpolation constructs (${...}, $var, {$...}) verbatim, which PHP evaluates at runtime instead of treating as literal text. This is the same class of code-generation literal-injection flaw previously fixed for the Ruby generator (# interpolation), recurring here as a missed variant for PHP's $ interpolation in the sibling sanitizer helper.

Attack vectors

OpenAPI description and default fields in schema properties

Property wire-name keys embedded in deserializer/serializer methods

Any schema-derived string embedded in PHP double-quoted literals

Severity: Critical when generated code reaches production; High for CI/CD environments with access to production secrets; Medium for public third-party specs; Low for developer-controlled specs.

Patches

#7863

Workarounds

If you cannot upgrade immediately:

1. Audit and sanitize OpenAPI specifications: Review all OpenAPI specification files for any descriptions, default values, or property names containing the $ character. Remove or replace any suspicious strings before code generation.
2. Code review of generated files: Implement mandatory code review of all generated PHP files before merging into any branch. Look for double-quoted strings containing ${, $var, or {$ patterns.
3. Restrict specification sources: Only consume OpenAPI specifications from trusted internal sources. Avoid automatic code generation from external or third-party APIs until this patch is applied.
4. Isolate generated code from production: Do not deploy generated PHP models to production environments unless the specification source has been verified and reviewed.
5. Manual escaping (temporary): If regeneration is not possible, manually inspect and edit generated files to escape any $ characters in double-quoted string literals (replace $ with \$).

Remediation

Upgrade Kiota to 1.29.1, 1.32.4, or later.

Regenerate/refresh existing generated clients as a precaution:

Refreshing generated clients ensures previously generated vulnerable code is replaced with hardened output.