CVE-2024-28859
CWE-502Published: March 15, 2024· Updated: Jun 17, 2026
Official Description
Symfony1 is a community fork of symfony 1.4 with DIC, form enhancements, latest Swiftmailer, better performance, composer compatible and PHP 8 support. Symfony 1 has a gadget chain due to vulnerable Swift Mailer dependency that would enable an attacker to get remote code execution if a developer unserialize user input in his project. This vulnerability present no direct threat but is a vector that will enable remote code execution if a developper deserialize user untrusted data. Symfony 1 depends on Swift Mailer which is bundled by default in vendor directory in the default installation since 1.3.0. Swift Mailer classes implement some `__destruct()` methods. These methods are called when php destroys the object in memory. However, it is possible to include any object type in `$this->_keys` to make PHP access to another array/object properties than intended by the developer. In particular, it is possible to abuse the array access which is triggered on foreach($this->_keys ...) for any class implementing ArrayAccess interface. This may allow an attacker to execute any PHP command which leads to remote code execution. This issue has been addressed in version 1.5.18. Users are advised to upgrade. There are no known workarounds for this vulnerability.
Risk Analysis
Symfony1 contains a gadget chain vulnerability within its Swift Mailer dependency that can lead to remote code execution if an application deserializes untrusted user input. While it requires specific developer implementation to trigger, the 9.0 CVSS score highlights the potential for severe impact.
There is no known public exploit, and the vulnerability is not in the KEV catalog. It is remotely exploitable.
Developers should avoid deserializing untrusted data and ensure that all dependencies, including Swift Mailer, are updated or replaced.
Technical Analysis
CVE-2024-28859 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 9.0.
The vulnerability has a "Changed" scope, meaning successful exploitation can impact components beyond the vulnerable component itself — such as the host operating system or adjacent services.
From a weakness classification perspective (CWE-502): Insecure deserialization vulnerabilities allow attackers to inject malicious objects during deserialization, potentially enabling remote code execution.
CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown
Affected Vendors & Products
Exploit & PoC Resources
Official Patches & Advisories
All References (4)
Quick Facts
Related CVEs (CWE-502)
Recommended Actions
- →Apply vendor patches immediately
- →Monitor CVE-2024-28859 in threat intel feeds
- →Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts