CWE-616: Incomplete Identification of Uploaded File Variables (PHP)
The PHP application uses an old method for processing uploaded files by referencing the four global variables that are set for each file (e.g. $varname, $varname_size, $varname_name, $varname_type). These variables could be overwritten by attackers, causing the application to process unauthorized files.
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Overview
These global variables could be overwritten by POST requests, cookies, or other methods of populating or overwriting these variables. This could be used to read or process arbitrary files by providing values such as "/etc/passwd".
Real-world CVEs
6 recorded CVEs are caused by CWE-616 (Incomplete Identification of Uploaded File Variables (PHP)). The highest-severity and most recent are shown first. 1 new CWE-616 CVE has been recorded so far in 2026 (2 in 2025).