CVE-2016-10074Swiftmailer Command Injection
Swift Mailer mail transport Command Injection
Published May 17, 2022 · Updated Aug 4, 2026 · Also known as DEBIAN-CVE-2016-10074, DLA-792-1, DSA-3769-1, GHSA-pr44-4jfr-286m, UBUNTU-CVE-2016-10074
Key Facts
Patch immediately- CVE-2016-10074 is a critical-severity vulnerability (CVSS 9.8 v3.1) affecting Swiftmailer, swiftmailer/swiftmailer (composer), libphp-swiftmailer (debian).
- It is not listed in any known-exploited vulnerabilities catalog. Public exploit code is available.
- EPSS estimates a 44% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
- Fixed versions are available, including libphp-swiftmailer 4.1.5-1+deb7u1, libphp-swiftmailer 5.2.2-1+deb8u1, libphp-swiftmailer 5.4.2-1.1.
- Brandefense priority: patch immediately, because public exploit code exists for a high-severity flaw.
Scores
CVSS v3.1
9.8
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS (30-day exploit likelihood)
44%
Higher than 98.7% of all scored CVEs
Exploit maturity
Proof of concept
ATLAS score
57/100
Publication score, see How it works
Exploitation Verdict
KEV listed
Not listed
Federal due date
None
No federal due date
Ransomware use
Not reported
Attributed actors
None named
Exploit & Defence Guidance
Exploit maturity
Proof of concept
Public exploit code
4
Proof-of-concept links
In-the-wild evidence
0
Reports of active use
Advisories And Exploit References
- advisoryhttps://github.com/FriendsOfPHP/security-advisories/blob/master/swiftmailer/swiftmailer/CVE-2016-10074.yaml
- advisoryhttps://legalhackers.com/advisories/SwiftMailer-Exploit-Remote-Code-Exec-CVE-2016-10074-Vuln.html
- advisoryhttps://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-10074
- advisoryhttps://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2016-10074
- advisoryhttps://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2016-10074
- advisoryhttps://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2016-10074
Description
The mail transport (aka Swift_Transport_MailTransport) in Swift Mailer before 5.4.5 might allow remote attackers to pass extra parameters to the mail command and consequently execute arbitrary code via a \" (backslash double quote) in a crafted e-mail address in the (1) From, (2) ReturnPath, or (3) Sender header.
Affected Products
15 affected entries in total| Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| SwiftmailerSwiftmailer | See advisory | 5.4.4 |
| swiftmailer/swiftmailercomposer | See advisory | 5.4.5 |
| libphp-swiftmailerdebian | See advisory | 5.4.2-1.1 |
Patched Releases
libphp-swiftmailer
4.1.5-1+deb7u1, 5.2.2-1+deb8u1, 5.4.2-1.1
Swiftmailer
5.4.4
swiftmailer/swiftmailer
5.4.5
Timeline
Publicly disclosed
May 17, 2022
Last updated
Aug 4, 2026
Weakness Type
- CWE-77 Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in a Command ('Command Injection')
References
- advisorygithub.com · CVE-2016-10074
- advisorylegalhackers.com · CVE-2016-10074
- advisorynvd.nist.gov · CVE-2016-10074
- advisorysecurity-tracker.debian.org · CVE-2016-10074
- advisoryubuntu.com · CVE-2016-10074
FAQ
Common Questions.
The mail transport (aka Swift_Transport_MailTransport) in Swift Mailer before 5.4.5 might allow remote attackers to pass extra parameters to the mail command and consequently execute arbitrary code via a \" (backslash double quote) in a crafted e-mail address in the (1) From, (2) ReturnPath, or (3) Sender header.
Affected: Swiftmailer; swiftmailer/swiftmailer (composer); libphp-swiftmailer (debian). The full list is in the CVE brief.
It is not listed in any known-exploited vulnerabilities catalog.
No, it is not currently listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.
Public exploit code is available.
Fixed versions are available, including libphp-swiftmailer 4.1.5-1+deb7u1, libphp-swiftmailer 5.2.2-1+deb8u1, libphp-swiftmailer 5.4.2-1.1.
Brandefense priority: patch immediately, because public exploit code exists for a high-severity flaw.
Is CVE-2016-10074 On Your Attack Surface?
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