CVE-2019-9858
Remote code execution was discovered in Horde Groupware Webmail 5.2.22 and 5.2.17. Horde/Form...
Remote code execution was discovered in Horde Groupware Webmail 5.2.22 and 5.2.17. Horde/Form/Type.php contains a vulnerable class that handles image upload in forms. When the Horde_Form_Type_image method onSubmit() is called on uploads, it invokes the functions getImage() and _getUpload(), which uses unsanitized user input as a path to save the image. The unsanitized POST parameter object[photo][img][file] is saved in the $upload[img][file] PHP variable, allowing an attacker to manipulate the $tmp_file passed to move_uploaded_file() to save the uploaded file. By setting the parameter to (for example) ../usr/share/horde/static/bd.php, one can write a PHP backdoor inside the web root. The static/ destination folder is a good candidate to drop the backdoor because it is always writable in Horde installations. (The unsanitized POST parameter went probably unnoticed because it's never submitted by the forms, which default to securely using a random path.)
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- Low
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
NVD Score used
8.8
Remote code execution was discovered in Horde Groupware Webmail 5.2.22 and 5.2.17. Horde/Form/Type.php contains a vulnerable class that handles image upload in forms. When the Horde_Form_Type_image method onSubmit() is called on uploads, it invokes the functions getImage() and _getUpload(), which uses unsanitized user input as a path to save the image. The unsanitized POST parameter object[photo][img][file] is saved in the $upload[img][file] PHP variable, allowing an attacker to manipulate the $tmp_file passed to move_uploaded_file() to save the uploaded file. By setting the parameter to (for example) ../usr/share/horde/static/bd.php, one can write a PHP backdoor inside the web root. The static/ destination folder is a good candidate to drop the backdoor because it is always writable in Horde installations. (The unsanitized POST parameter went probably unnoticed because it's never submitted by the forms, which default to securely using a random path.)
- Record
CVE-2019-9858- CVSS 3.1
- 8.8 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - CVSS 2.0
- 6.5 Medium
AV:N/AC:L/Au:S/C:P/I:P/A:P - Weakness
- CWE-22
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
CVE List No score
Remote code execution was discovered in Horde Groupware Webmail 5.2.22 and 5.2.17. Horde/Form/Type.php contains a vulnerable class that handles image upload in forms. When the Horde_Form_Type_image method onSubmit() is called on uploads, it invokes the functions getImage() and _getUpload(), which uses unsanitized user input as a path to save the image. The unsanitized POST parameter object[photo][img][file] is saved in the $upload[img][file] PHP variable, allowing an attacker to manipulate the $tmp_file passed to move_uploaded_file() to save the uploaded file. By setting the parameter to (for example) ../usr/share/horde/static/bd.php, one can write a PHP backdoor inside the web root. The static/ destination folder is a good candidate to drop the backdoor because it is always writable in Horde installations. (The unsanitized POST parameter went probably unnoticed because it's never submitted by the forms, which default to securely using a random path.)
- Record
CVE-2019-9858- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2019-19214 No score
Remote code execution was discovered in Horde Groupware Webmail 5.2.22 and 5.2.17. Horde/Form/Type.php contains a vulnerable class that handles image upload in forms. When the Horde_Form_Type_image method onSubmit() is called on uploads, it invokes the functions getImage() and _getUpload(), which uses unsanitized user input as a path to save the image. The unsanitized POST parameter object[photo][img][file] is saved in the $upload[img][file] PHP variable, allowing an attacker to manipulate the $tmp_file passed to move_uploaded_file() to save the uploaded file. By setting the parameter to (for example) ../usr/share/horde/static/bd.php, one can write a PHP backdoor inside the web root. The static/ destination folder is a good candidate to drop the backdoor because it is always writable in Horde installations. (The unsanitized POST parameter went probably unnoticed because it's never submitted by the forms, which default to securely using a random path.)
- Record
EUVD-2019-19214- Updated
- 2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-mhgr-3vxf-9f79
8.8
Remote code execution was discovered in Horde Groupware Webmail 5.2.22 and 5.2.17. Horde/Form...
Remote code execution was discovered in Horde Groupware Webmail 5.2.22 and 5.2.17. Horde/Form/Type.php contains a vulnerable class that handles image upload in forms. When the Horde_Form_Type_image method onSubmit() is called on uploads, it invokes the functions getImage() and _getUpload(), which uses unsanitized user input as a path to save the image. The unsanitized POST parameter object[photo][img][file] is saved in the $upload[img][file] PHP variable, allowing an attacker to manipulate the $tmp_file passed to move_uploaded_file() to save the uploaded file. By setting the parameter to (for example) ../usr/share/horde/static/bd.php, one can write a PHP backdoor inside the web root. The static/ destination folder is a good candidate to drop the backdoor because it is always writable in Horde installations. (The unsanitized POST parameter went probably unnoticed because it's never submitted by the forms, which default to securely using a random path.)
- Record
GHSA-mhgr-3vxf-9f79- CVSS 3.1
- 8.8 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-22, CWE-94
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSV
8.8
Remote code execution was discovered in Horde Groupware Webmail 5.2.22 and 5.2.17. Horde/Form/Type.php contains a vulnerable class that handles image upload in forms. When the Horde_Form_Type_image method onSubmit() is called on uploads, it invokes the functions getImage() and _getUpload(), which uses unsanitized user input as a path to save the image. The unsanitized POST parameter object[photo][img][file] is saved in the $upload[img][file] PHP variable, allowing an attacker to manipulate the $tmp_file passed to move_uploaded_file() to save the uploaded file. By setting the parameter to (for example) ../usr/share/horde/static/bd.php, one can write a PHP backdoor inside the web root. The static/ destination folder is a good candidate to drop the backdoor because it is always writable in Horde installations. (The unsanitized POST parameter went probably unnoticed because it's never submitted by the forms, which default to securely using a random path.)
- Record
CVE-2019-9858- CVSS 3.1
- 8.8 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVDEBIAN-CVE-2019-9858
8.8
Remote code execution was discovered in Horde Groupware Webmail 5.2.22 and 5.2.17. Horde/Form/Type.php contains a vulnerable class that handles image upload in forms. When the Horde_Form_Type_image method onSubmit() is called on uploads, it invokes the functions getImage() and _getUpload(), which uses unsanitized user input as a path to save the image. The unsanitized POST parameter object[photo][img][file] is saved in the $upload[img][file] PHP variable, allowing an attacker to manipulate the $tmp_file passed to move_uploaded_file() to save the uploaded file. By setting the parameter to (for example) ../usr/share/horde/static/bd.php, one can write a PHP backdoor inside the web root. The static/ destination folder is a good candidate to drop the backdoor because it is always writable in Horde installations. (The unsanitized POST parameter went probably unnoticed because it's never submitted by the forms, which default to securely using a random path.)
- Record
DEBIAN-CVE-2019-9858- CVSS 3.1
- 8.8 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVUBUNTU-CVE-2019-9858
8.8
Remote code execution was discovered in Horde Groupware Webmail 5.2.22 and 5.2.17. Horde/Form/Type.php contains a vulnerable class that handles image upload in forms. When the Horde_Form_Type_image method onSubmit() is called on uploads, it invokes the functions getImage() and _getUpload(), which uses unsanitized user input as a path to save the image. The unsanitized POST parameter object[photo][img][file] is saved in the $upload[img][file] PHP variable, allowing an attacker to manipulate the $tmp_file passed to move_uploaded_file() to save the uploaded file. By setting the parameter to (for example) ../usr/share/horde/static/bd.php, one can write a PHP backdoor inside the web root. The static/ destination folder is a good candidate to drop the backdoor because it is always writable in Horde installations. (The unsanitized POST parameter went probably unnoticed because it's never submitted by the forms, which default to securely using a random path.)
- Record
UBUNTU-CVE-2019-9858- CVSS 3.1
- 8.8 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
Affected packages
| Package | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
php-horde-formDebian:12 |
before 2.0.18-3.1 | 2.0.18-3.1 |
php-horde-formDebian:8 |
before 2.0.8-2+deb8u1, plus listed versions 2.0.8-2 |
2.0.8-2+deb8u1 |
php-horde-formDebian:9 |
before 2.0.15-1+deb9u1, plus listed versions 2.0.15-1 |
2.0.15-1+deb9u1 |
php-horde-formUbuntu:16.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 2.0.11-12.0.11-22.0.12-12.0.12-1build1 |
None known |
php-horde-formUbuntu:18.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 2.0.18-1 |
None known |
Public exploits
Links only. Every CVE stores no exploit code.
| Source | Link | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Metasploit | Horde Form File Upload Vulnerability | 2019-03-24 |
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| aliases | EUVD | |
| first indexed | CVE List, GitHub Advisories, Metasploit, NVD, OSV |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2019-9858 is a high vulnerability (CVSS 8.8) in Horde Groupware, published May 29, 2019. Public exploit code exists. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 18.8%, the 97th percentile. Fixed in php-horde-form 2.0.18-3.1.
References
ssd-disclosure.com?p=3814&preview=true
packetstormsecurity.com/files/152476/Horde-Form-Shell-Upload.html
lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2019/06/msg00007.html
debian.org/security/2019/dsa-4468
seclists.org/bugtraq/2019/Jun/31
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-9858
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github.com/advisories/GHSA-mhgr-3vxf-9f79
security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2019-9858
ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2019-9858
ssd-disclosure.com/archives/3814/ssd-advisory-horde-groupware-webmail-authenticated-arbitrary-file-injection-to-rce
github.com/horde/Form/commit/c916ba979ad1613d76a9407dd0b67968a9594c0e
cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2019-9858