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

How to check the PHP version XAMPP 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.

C:\xampp\php\php.exe -v
/opt/lampp/bin/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 XAMPP

XAMPP is a development stack. If it is reachable from the internet or the LAN, stop Apache now or bind it to 127.0.0.1.
Back up C:\xampp\php, download the PHP 8.2.35 Thread Safe x64 zip from windows.php.net (the Apache module needs a Thread Safe build), unpack it into the php folder and copy your php.ini back. Stay on the 8.2 branch so php8apache2_4.dll still matches the Apache config.
Restart Apache from the XAMPP Control Panel and confirm the version with php -v and a temporary phpinfo() page.
For anything public, move to a maintained stack (distribution packages, Docker php images or a patched panel).
If no vendor build exists, replacing the bundled PHP with an official fixed build of the same branch is the DIY route. Keep a backup of the old folder and your php.ini.
Restart the web server and re-check the version the web SAPI reports.

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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 XAMPP affected by PHP2Shell?

Likely affected: no vendor fix or statement found. XAMPP ships its own PHP. The newest Windows installer (November 2023) bundles PHP 8.2.12, and no XAMPP build with fixed PHP exists. Apache Friends has published no PHP2Shell statement.

Does updating XAMPP 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 XAMPP 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 XAMPP 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.

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Sources

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