HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2008-2108
CRITICAL

CVE-2008-2108

CWE-331Published: May 7, 2008· Updated: Jun 16, 2026

9.8
CVSS v3.1

Official Description

The GENERATE_SEED macro in PHP 4.x before 4.4.8 and 5.x before 5.2.5, when running on 64-bit systems, performs a multiplication that generates a portion of zero bits during conversion due to insufficient precision, which produces 24 bits of entropy and simplifies brute force attacks against protection mechanisms that use the rand and mt_rand functions.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2008-2108 can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring physical or adjacent access, significantly expanding the attack surface for threat actors.

The vulnerability requires no privileges and no user interaction, making it a prime target for automated exploitation campaigns and worm-like propagation.

A successful exploit results in complete confidentiality breach (data exposure), full integrity compromise (data manipulation), availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 9.8.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

Exploitability
Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges Req.None
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
Impact
ConfidentialityHigh
IntegrityHigh
AvailabilityHigh
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Affected Vendors & Products

Canonical1 product(s)
ubuntu linux
Debian1 product(s)
debian linux
Fedora1 product(s)
fedora
PHP1 product(s)
php
Source: NVD CPE · 8 total CPE entries

Exploit & PoC Resources

NO KNOWN EXPLOITNo public exploit confirmed at this time
Exploit-DB
Offensive Security exploit database
GitHub PoC Search
Community PoC repositories
Rapid7 / Metasploit
Metasploit module search
PacketStorm
Security advisories & exploits
NVD Detail
Official NIST entry
MITRE CVE
CVE Program entry
External links open in a new tab. Always verify in a controlled environment before use.

Official Patches & Advisories

ADVISORYhttp://security.gentoo.org/glsa/glsa-200811-05.xml
ADVISORYhttp://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/491683/100/0/threaded
ADVISORYhttp://www.ubuntu.com/usn/usn-628-1
ADVISORYhttps://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/42226
ADVISORYhttp://security.gentoo.org/glsa/glsa-200811-05.xml
ADVISORYhttp://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/491683/100/0/threaded
ADVISORYhttp://www.ubuntu.com/usn/usn-628-1
ADVISORYhttps://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/42226

All References (58)

→
http://archives.neohapsis.com/archives/fulldisclosure/2008-05/0103.htmlBroken Link · Exploit
→
http://secunia.com/advisories/30757Broken Link
→
http://secunia.com/advisories/30828Broken Link
→
http://secunia.com/advisories/31119Broken Link
→
http://secunia.com/advisories/31124Broken Link
→
http://secunia.com/advisories/31200Broken Link
→
http://secunia.com/advisories/32746Broken Link
→
http://secunia.com/advisories/35003Broken Link
→
http://security.gentoo.org/glsa/glsa-200811-05.xmlThird Party Advisory
→
http://securityreason.com/securityalert/3859Mailing List
→
http://www.debian.org/security/2009/dsa-1789Mailing List
→
http://www.mandriva.com/security/advisories?name=MDVSA-2008:125Broken Link
→
http://www.mandriva.com/security/advisories?name=MDVSA-2008:126Broken Link
→
http://www.mandriva.com/security/advisories?name=MDVSA-2008:127Broken Link
→
http://www.mandriva.com/security/advisories?name=MDVSA-2008:128Broken Link

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2008-2108
CVSS Score9.8 / 10
SeverityCRITICAL
WeaknessCWE-331
CISA KEVNo
Affected4 vendor(s)
PublishedMay 7, 2008

Related CVEs (CWE-331)

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CVE-2021-33027
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CVE-2021-36294
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CVE-2021-36320
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CVE-2020-12735
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CVE-2021-41615
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Recommended Actions

  • →Apply vendor patches immediately
  • →Monitor CVE-2008-2108 in threat intel feeds
  • →Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts
Data sourced from NVD (NIST), CISA KEV, and EPSS (FIRST). Analysis generated by CTIWATCH.COM. CVE data is provided under the NVD usage policy.
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