CVE-2021-47853: Phppgadmin/phppgadmin PhpPgAdmin Contains A Remote Command Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-86gh-c8r8-xwhq
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CVSS 8.8
CWE-78
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2021-47853 is a HIGH (CVSS 8.8) phppgadmin contains a remote command vulnerability (CWE-78: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection')) affecting Phppgadmin/phppgadmin libraries in the Packagist ecosystem. The issue involves phppgadmin contains a remote command execution vulnerability. Remediation is available in the latest vendor maintenance releases.

CVE-2021-47853 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2021-47853
GHSA Identifier GHSA-86gh-c8r8-xwhq
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 8.8
CWE Classification CWE-78: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection')
Affected Product Phppgadmin/phppgadmin
Package Ecosystem Packagist
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 8.8

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required Low (PR:L)
User Interaction None (UI:N)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality High (C:H)
Integrity High (I:H)
Availability High (A:H)

How to Fix CVE-2021-47853

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Phppgadmin/phppgadmin dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

phppgadmin/phppgadmin fixed: Latest secure release 
Upgrade phppgadmin/phppgadmin to Latest secure release
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

inspect dependencies for phppgadmin/phppgadmin

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your application is affected by CVE-2021-47853, inspect your project dependencies for Phppgadmin/phppgadmin:

inspect dependencies for phppgadmin/phppgadmin

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Phppgadmin/phppgadmin in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than the patched release), your application is affected.

Note: Verify declared build manifests and deployed runtime container environments.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-78: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection'), where the product constructs all or part of an os command using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the intended os command when it is sent to a downstream component. In Phppgadmin/phppgadmin, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

phpPgAdmin 7.13.0 contains a remote command execution vulnerability that allows authenticated attackers to execute arbitrary system commands through SQL query manipulation. Attackers can create a custom table, upload a malicious .txt file, and use the COPY FROM PROGRAM command to execute operating system commands with the application's privileges.

CVE-2021-47853 Affected Phppgadmin/phppgadmin Versions

1 component(s)
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
phppgadmin/phppgadmin
 Packagist
≤ 7.13.0

References

NVD — CVE-2021-47853 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-47853
Phppgadmin/phppgadmin Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/phppgadmin/phppgadmin
Phppgadmin/phppgadmin Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/phppgadmin/phppgadmin/releases
www.exploit-db.com/exploits/49736 WEB
https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/49736
www.vulncheck.com/advisories/phppgadm... WEB
https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/phppgadmin-copy-from-program-command-execution

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2021-47853?
CVE-2021-47853 is a security vulnerability in Phppgadmin/phppgadmin involving phpPgAdmin contains a remote command execution vulnerability under CWE-78: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection').
Which Phppgadmin/phppgadmin versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to current release patches across affected packages: phppgadmin/phppgadmin.
What version fixes CVE-2021-47853?
Upgrading to current release patches (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is phppgadmin/phppgadmin affected?
Yes, phppgadmin/phppgadmin is affected in releases prior to Latest secure release. Upgrade your dependency to Latest secure release or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2021-47853?
CVE-2021-47853 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.8 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2021-47853?
CVE-2021-47853 is classified under CWE-78: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection') (The product constructs all or part of an OS command using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the intended OS command when it is sent to a downstream component.).
How can I check Packagist dependencies for CVE-2021-47853?
Run the dependency tree command: 'inspect dependencies for phppgadmin/phppgadmin'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-86gh-c8r8-xwhq",
  "modified" : "2026-02-02T20:33:47Z",
  "published" : "2026-01-21T18:30:31Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2021-47853" ],
  "summary" : "phpPgAdmin contains a remote command execution vulnerability",
  "details" : "phpPgAdmin 7.13.0 contains a remote command execution vulnerability that allows authenticated attackers to execute arbitrary system commands through SQL query manipulation. Attackers can create a custom table, upload a malicious .txt file, and use the COPY FROM PROGRAM command to execute operating system commands with the application's privileges.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
  }, {
    "type" : "CVSS_V4",
    "score" : "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:H/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Packagist",
      "name" : "phppgadmin/phppgadmin"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "last_affected" : "7.13.0"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-47853"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/phppgadmin/phppgadmin"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/phppgadmin/phppgadmin/releases"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/49736"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/phppgadmin-copy-from-program-command-execution"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-78" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-02-02T20:33:47Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-01-21T18:16:14Z"
  }
}