Products and stacks · Hosting platforms and server managers

PHP2Shell in Cloudways: is it affected and how to fix it

Quick verdict

Affected until you install the vendor's fixed release.

Vendor status: Vendor fix available
PHP: 5.6 · 7.4 · 8.0 · 8.1 · 8.2 · 8.3 · 8.4 patched on Autonomous and Flexible
Last checked: 2026-10-22

Cloudways (part of DigitalOcean) said on its status page on 22 October, 10:20 UTC, that the PHP security patch rollout is complete and all active servers have been updated; its support team is contacting a small subset of customers whose environments need extra help. Applications on Cloudways Autonomous were patched first (by 01:02 UTC), then Flexible servers. Cloudways says it patched every PHP version it supports, including deprecated ones: 5.6, 7.4, 8.0, 8.1, 8.2, 8.3 and 8.4, using Extended Long Term Support partners for the end-of-life versions, and it does not force customers to move to a newer PHP version. Interim configuration-level mitigations were in place across the fleet during the rollout. No customer action is needed unless Cloudways support contacts you.

How to check the PHP version Cloudways uses

Run the command for your setup. A version at or above 8.2.35, 8.3.36, 8.4.27 or 8.5.12 in its branch is fixed; older branches are fixed only by a vendor build that says so.

php -v

The command-line php can differ from the PHP that serves the site. To be sure, check the web SAPI (a temporary phpinfo() page behind authentication, or the panel's PHP settings) and remove it afterwards. Our version checker compares a version number for you.

🔎 Got a version number? Paste it into the PHP2Shell checker →

How to fix PHP2Shell in Cloudways

Find out where the PHP that runs this application comes from: your distribution, a third-party repository (Ondřej Surý, Remi), a hosting panel, a Docker image or your host.
Update that PHP to 8.2.35, 8.3.36, 8.4.27, 8.5.12 or a vendor build with the backported fix, and restart every PHP worker.
On shared or managed hosting you cannot patch PHP yourself: ask the host whether the fixed PHP is deployed, and switch the site to a fixed version in the panel.
If the site still runs PHP 8.1 or older, move it to a supported branch; PHP published only source patches for 7.4, 8.0 and 8.1.

Prefer to let an AI agent do the checks? Check if you are affected · Fix with an AI agent

If you cannot patch yet

Set session.upload_progress.enabled = 0 where applications cannot override it (php.ini, php_admin_value in the FPM pool or Apache config), and restart PHP.
On PHP 8.5, set fatal_error_backtraces = 0.
PHP's interim advice also covers memory_limit and a low post_max_size; follow the remediation page exactly, because these settings only reduce some paths.
Restrict access (VPN, IP allowlist) or take the service offline if it runs PHP 8.1 or older with no vendor backport. WAF rules help but are not a fix.

FAQ

Is Cloudways affected by PHP2Shell?

Affected until you install the vendor's fixed release. Cloudways (part of DigitalOcean) said on its status page on 22 October, 10:20 UTC, that the PHP security patch rollout is complete and all active servers have been updated; its support team is contacting a small subset of customers whose environments need extra help. Applications on Cloudways Autonomous were patched first (by 01:02 UTC), then Flexible servers. Cloudways says it patched every PHP version it supports, including deprecated ones: 5.6, 7.4, 8.0, 8.1, 8.2, 8.3 and 8.4, using Extended Long Term Support partners for the end-of-life versions, and it does not force customers to move to a newer PHP version. Interim configuration-level mitigations were in place across the fleet during the rollout. No customer action is needed unless Cloudways support contacts you.

Does updating Cloudways itself fix CVE-2026-109618 and CVE-2026-109619?

Only if the update contains fixed PHP. PHP2Shell is a flaw in the PHP interpreter, so what matters is the PHP that Cloudways runs on. Check the version after updating.

Which PHP versions fix PHP2Shell?

PHP 8.2.35, 8.3.36, 8.4.27 and 8.5.12, released 21 October 2026. PHP 8.1 and older get no release from the PHP project; only vendor builds with a backport (or a self-built source patch for 7.4, 8.0 and 8.1) fix them.

What if Cloudways has no fix yet?

Keep its PHP-based web interface off the internet (VPN or IP allowlist), apply PHP's interim settings such as disabling session upload progress, and install the vendor update as soon as it ships. Interim settings reduce risk but are not a fix.

← All products that bundle PHP

Sources

Outbound links leave this site. We do not host exploit code.

Unofficial summary of public sources. This site is not affiliated with the vendor or the PHP project and hosts no exploit code.