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Bug #16064 array_merge_recursive() can be used for DoS
Submitted: 2002-03-14 09:15 UTC Modified: 2002-09-10 13:36 UTC
Votes:1
Avg. Score:4.0 ± 0.0
Reproduced:1 of 1 (100.0%)
Same Version:0 (0.0%)
Same OS:0 (0.0%)
From: ahristov at icygen dot com Assigned: andrei (profile)
Status: Closed Package: Arrays related
PHP Version: 4.0CVS-2002-03-1 OS: RH 7.1
Private report: No CVE-ID: None
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From: ahristov at icygen dot com
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 [2002-03-14 09:15 UTC] ahristov at icygen dot com
<?php
array_merge_recursively($GLOBALS,$GLOBALS) 
?>
On the test server all consoles hanged. 100%.CPU load. 98%
system - kswapd started to swap as a beast.

No problems with this.

<?php
$a=array(1);
$a[0]=&$a[0];
array_merge_recursive($a,$a);
var_dump($a);
?>

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 [2002-03-14 09:23 UTC] sander@php.net
I'm sure you can come up with a load of nasty things you can do with $GLOBALS, but what do you want us to do about it? Disable $GLOBALS for use with array_* functions (it that's even possible)? Disable $GLOBALS at all?
 [2002-03-14 09:30 UTC] ahristov at icygen dot com
I have talked to Zeev about this issues. Asked them may I have to fill bug report and he said:
"They should either use hash_apply(), which automatically protects against 
recursion, or implement the recursion protection themselves (like print_r() 
does).  You can/should open bug reports about them..."
In the start Zeev talks about some functions that have problems with $GLOBALS and arrays that holds elements pointing ot itself.
 [2002-03-14 09:31 UTC] ahristov at icygen dot com
streplace('them','him',$previous_vote);
 [2002-03-14 09:33 UTC] sander@php.net
OK. status -> open
 [2002-05-16 16:24 UTC] tomat at lenderlabdot dot com
Your second example isn't like the first.  $a[0] is a reference to itself.  The first bonks because $GLOBALS['GLOBALS'] is a reference to $GLOBALS.  An equivalent is:

<?php
$a=array(1,2,3);
$a[3]=&$a;
array_merge_recursive($a,$a);
var_dump($a);
?>

which will produce the same results.  I'm submitting a feature request for array_recurse_safe($array) which returns an array with no infinite loops.
 [2002-05-16 18:11 UTC] tomat at lenderlabdot dot com
Oops, forgot to include the link:

http://bugs.php.net/bug.php?id=17279
 [2002-09-10 13:36 UTC] andrei@php.net
This bug has been fixed in CVS.

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