Sign in
Deutsch English Español Polski
Low

Prevent cache poisoning via a Response Content-Type header in Symfony

  • Disclosed: 30.03.2020
  • Updated: 11.10.2026 10:22

Description

When a Response does not contain a Content-Type header, Symfony falls back to the format defined in the Accept header of the request, leading to a possible mismatch between the response's content and Content-Type header. When the response is cached, this can lead to a corrupted cache where the cached format is not the right one.

Resolution

Symfony does not use the Accept header anymore to guess the Content-Type.

The patch for this issue is available here for the 4.4 branch.

Credits

I would like to thank Xavier Lacot from JoliCode for reporting & Yonel Ceruto and Tobias Schultze for fixing the issue.

Affected software

Click a technology to see all vulnerabilities affecting it.

PlatformPackageVulnerable versionsFixed in
Composer package symfony/http-foundation >= 4.4.0, < 4.4.7, >= 5.0.0, < 5.0.7 4.4.7, 5.0.7
Composer package symfony/symfony >= 4.4.0, < 4.4.7, >= 5.0.0, < 5.0.7 4.4.7, 5.0.7

References

CVSS score 2.6/10
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L
Weakness (CWE)
CWE-435
Platform
Composer
Package
symfony/http-foundation, symfony/symfony
Disclosed
30.03.2020
Updated
11.10.2026 10:22

Sources and licenses

OSV / GitHub Advisory Database - GHSA-mcx4-f5f5-4859 - CC BY 4.0

Vulnerability history: symfony/http-foundation

All published vulnerabilities of this package (Composer package), newest first. Shows whether this is a one-off slip or a package that needs watching.

All (14) in the archive
Total entries
14
First → latest
12.2019 06.2026
Without a fix
0
Exploited in attacks
0

Severity breakdown

  • Critical 1
  • High 3
  • Medium 8
  • Low 2

Disclosures per year

Severity:
  1. Symfony's incorrect parsing of PATH_INFO can lead to limited authorization bypass
    High · 7.3 CVE-2025-64500 < 5.4.50, >= 6.0.0, < 6.4.29, >= 7.0.0, < 7.3.7 5.4.50, 6.4.29, 7.3.7
  2. Symfony vulnerable to denial of service via a malicious HTTP Host header
    High · 7.5 CVE-2014-5244 >= 2.0.0, < 2.3.19, >= 2.4.0, < 2.4.9, >= 2.5.0, < 2.5.4 2.3.19, 2.4.9, 2.5.4
  3. Prevent cache poisoning via a Response Content-Type header in Symfony this entry
    Low · 2.6 CVE-2020-5255 >= 4.4.0, < 4.4.7, >= 5.0.0, < 5.0.7 4.4.7, 5.0.7
  4. Invalid HTTP method overrides allow possible XSS or other attacks in Symfony
    Critical · 9.8 CVE-2019-10913 >= 2.7.0, < 2.7.51, >= 2.8.0, < 2.8.50, >= 3.0.0, < 3.4.26, >= 4.0.0, < 4.1.12, >= 4.2.0, < 4.2.7 2.7.51, 2.8.50, 3.4.26, 4.1.12, 4.2.7
  5. Argument injection in a MimeTypeGuesser in Symfony
    High · 7.5 CVE-2019-18888 >= 2.0.0, < 2.8.52, >= 3.0.0, < 3.4.35, >= 4.0.0, < 4.2.12, >= 4.3.0, < 4.3.8 2.8.52, 3.4.35, 4.2.12, 4.3.8

Know which vulnerabilities affect your application

With the DockRay integration and software inventory enabled, DockRay checks reported component versions against known vulnerabilities and notifies you about confirmed matches. Coverage depends on the supported technology and available advisory data.

Connect your application
DockRay newsletter

Application security in your inbox

Important vulnerabilities, actionable guidance and practical advice for your applications. Choose your technologies and follow what matters to your project.

  • A daily digest of new vulnerabilities, critical ones included.
  • Notifications about important updates.
  • Practical advice on application security and monitoring.

Leave empty to receive updates for every technology.

Privacy policy

Free to subscribe. Unsubscribe with one click in any email.