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.
This vulnerability carries a CRITICAL severity rating with a CVSS v3.1 score of 9.8, indicating it can be exploited remotely over the network with relatively low complexity without requiring user interaction and does not require pre-existing privileges . The vulnerability impacts confidentiality (data exposure), integrity (unauthorized modifications), and availability (service disruption) for affected systems. Impacting 4 products from php, from fedoraproject, from canonical and 1 other, organizations running these solutions should prioritize assessment and patching.
Originally identified in 2008, this vulnerability predates many modern security frameworks and practices. The vulnerability landscape of that era was characterized by different threat models and less mature defense mechanisms compared to contemporary standards.
2008-05-07T21:20:00.000
2026-04-23T00:35:47.467
Modified
CVSSv3.1: 9.8 (CRITICAL)
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
10.0
6.4
| Type | Vendor | Product | Version/Range | Vulnerable? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Application | php | php | < 4.4.8 | Yes |
| Application | php | php | < 5.2.5 | Yes |
| Operating System | fedoraproject | fedora | 8 | Yes |
| Operating System | fedoraproject | fedora | 9 | Yes |
| Operating System | canonical | ubuntu_linux | 6.06 | Yes |
| Operating System | canonical | ubuntu_linux | 7.04 | Yes |
| Operating System | canonical | ubuntu_linux | 7.10 | Yes |
| Operating System | canonical | ubuntu_linux | 8.04 | Yes |
| Operating System | debian | debian_linux | 4.0 | Yes |
SecUtils normalizes and enriches National Vulnerability Database (NVD) records by standardizing vendor and product identifiers, aggregating vulnerability metadata from both NVD and MITRE sources, and providing structured context for security teams. For php's affected products, we extract Common Platform Enumeration (CPE) data, Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) classifications, CVSS severity metrics, and reference data to enable rapid vulnerability prioritization and asset correlation. This record contains no exploit code, proof-of-concept instructions, or attack methodologies—only defensive intelligence necessary for patch management, risk assessment, and security operations.