CVE-2018-15133

HIGH KEV LAB

Laravel Framework < 5.5.40 and 5.6.x < 5.6.30 - Remote Code Execution via Unserialize of X-XSRF-TOKEN

Title source: llm
STIX 2.1

Exploitation Summary

CVE-2018-15133 is actively exploited and listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, added January 16, 2024. EIP tracks 16 public exploits from researchers including Metasploit, kozmic, aljavier, including a Metasploit module exploits/unix/http/laravel_token_unserialize_exec.

AI-analyzed exploit summary This Metasploit module exploits a deserialization vulnerability in Laravel Framework versions 5.5.40 and 5.6.x <= 5.6.29 via an insecure unserialize call in the decrypt method, allowing remote command execution through a crafted X-XSRF-TOKEN header. It requires knowledge of the Laravel APP_KEY, which can sometimes be leaked.

Description

In Laravel Framework through 5.5.40 and 5.6.x through 5.6.29, remote code execution might occur as a result of an unserialize call on a potentially untrusted X-XSRF-TOKEN value. This involves the decrypt method in Illuminate/Encryption/Encrypter.php and PendingBroadcast in gadgetchains/Laravel/RCE/3/chain.php in phpggc. The attacker must know the application key, which normally would never occur, but could happen if the attacker previously had privileged access or successfully accomplished a previous attack.

Exploits (16)

exploitdb WORKING POC VERIFIED
by Metasploit · rubyremotelinux
https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/47129

This Metasploit module exploits a deserialization vulnerability in Laravel Framework versions 5.5.40 and 5.6.x <= 5.6.29 via an insecure unserialize call in the decrypt method, allowing remote command execution through a crafted X-XSRF-TOKEN header. It requires knowledge of the Laravel APP_KEY, which can sometimes be leaked.

Classification
Working Poc 100%
Attack Type
Rce
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Laravel Framework 5.5.40, 5.6.x <= 5.6.29
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Knowledge of the Laravel APP_KEY · Target application using vulnerable Laravel version
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 16, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC 259 stars
by kozmic · remote
https://github.com/kozmic/laravel-poc-CVE-2018-15133

This repository contains a functional Proof of Concept (PoC) exploit for CVE-2018-15133, a deserialization vulnerability in Laravel Framework versions <= 5.6.29 and <= 5.5.40. The exploit leverages a leaked APP_KEY to encrypt a malicious payload and execute arbitrary commands via a POST request header.

Classification
Working Poc 100%
Attack Type
Rce
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Laravel Framework <= 5.6.29, <= 5.5.40
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Leaked APP_KEY · Target running vulnerable Laravel version
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 16, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC 56 stars
by aljavier · remote-auth
https://github.com/aljavier/exploit_laravel_cve-2018-15133

This is a Python-based exploit for CVE-2018-15133, a Laravel Framework deserialization vulnerability leading to remote code execution. It leverages multiple gadget chains to achieve RCE via crafted X-XSRF-TOKEN values.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Rce
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Laravel Framework through 5.5.40 and 5.6.x through 5.6.29
No auth needed
Prerequisites: knowledge of the application key · vulnerable Laravel version
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 16, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC 34 stars
by pwnedshell · remote
https://github.com/pwnedshell/Larascript

This repository contains a functional exploit for CVE-2018-15133, a Laravel framework deserialization vulnerability. The script generates malicious payloads to achieve remote code execution (RCE) and can establish a reverse shell on vulnerable Laravel applications.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Deserialization
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Laravel Framework through 5.5.40 and 5.6.x through 5.6.29
No auth needed
Prerequisites: knowledge of the application key in base64 · exposed Laravel application with vulnerable version
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 16, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC 6 stars
by Prabesh01 · remote
https://github.com/Prabesh01/Laravel-PHP-Unit-RCE-Auto-shell-uploader

This PoC exploits CVE-2018-15133, a remote code execution vulnerability in Laravel applications with exposed PHPUnit files. It uploads a malicious PHP file via a crafted request to the vulnerable endpoint.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Rce
Complexity
Trivial
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Laravel with exposed PHPUnit (versions prior to fix)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Exposed PHPUnit files in Laravel application · Network access to target
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 16, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec SCANNER 3 stars
by AzhariKun · poc
https://github.com/AzhariKun/CVE-2018-15133

This repository contains a scanner for CVE-2018-15133, which targets Laravel applications by checking for exposed .env files and attempting to exploit unserialize vulnerabilities. It uses multithreading to scan multiple targets and sends data to an external exploit server.

Classification
Scanner 90%
Attack Type
Deserialization
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Theoretical
Target: Laravel (versions affected by CVE-2018-15133)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Exposed .env file · Network access to target · External exploit server availability
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 16, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC 1 stars
by yeahhbean · remote-auth
https://github.com/yeahhbean/Laravel-CVE-2018-15133

This repository contains a functional PoC for CVE-2018-15133, a Laravel APP_KEY deserialization vulnerability. The exploit leverages a known APP_KEY to craft a malicious serialized payload, which is then encrypted and sent to the target server to achieve remote code execution.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Deserialization
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Laravel <= 5.7.27
No auth needed
Prerequisites: knowledge of the target's APP_KEY · access to the target server's cookie or session mechanism
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 16, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC
by flame-11 · poc
https://github.com/flame-11/CVE-2018-15133-laravel-framework

This repository provides a Docker-based lab environment to demonstrate CVE-2018-15133, a Laravel Framework RCE vulnerability via token unserialize when the APP_KEY is known. It includes a simple POST route to trigger CSRF handling and validate exploitation using tools like Nuclei.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Rce
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Laravel Framework 5.6.x
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Known APP_KEY · Access to a vulnerable Laravel application
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 16, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC
by Loaxert · remote-auth
https://github.com/Loaxert/CVE-2018-15133-PoC

This PoC exploits CVE-2018-15133, a Laravel deserialization vulnerability, by crafting a malicious serialized payload encrypted with the target's APP_KEY and sending it via a session cookie to achieve remote code execution.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Rce
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Laravel (versions 5.5.40 and earlier, 5.6.0 to 5.6.29)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Laravel APP_KEY · PHPGGC tool installed · Vulnerable Laravel version
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 16, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC
by Cr4zyD14m0nd137 · remote
https://github.com/Cr4zyD14m0nd137/Lab-for-cve-2018-15133

This repository contains a functional exploit for CVE-2018-15133, a deserialization vulnerability in Laravel Framework. The exploit leverages a crafted X-XSRF-TOKEN header to achieve remote code execution (RCE) on vulnerable Laravel applications.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Rce
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Laravel Framework through 5.5.40 and 5.6.x through 5.6.29
Auth required
Prerequisites: knowledge of the application key · Docker setup for testing
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 16, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC
by 0xSalle · remote-auth
https://github.com/0xSalle/cve-2018-15133

This is a functional exploit for CVE-2018-15133, a Laravel deserialization vulnerability leading to remote code execution. It generates malicious payloads, encrypts them using the target's API key, and sends them via HTTP headers to execute arbitrary commands.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Rce
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Laravel (versions affected by CVE-2018-15133)
Auth required
Prerequisites: Valid Laravel API key (base64-encoded) · Target URL with vulnerable Laravel instance
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 16, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC
by NatteeSetobol · remote
https://github.com/NatteeSetobol/CVE-2018-15133-Lavel-Expliot

This is a functional exploit for CVE-2018-15133, targeting Laravel applications with insecure deserialization. It generates a malicious payload to achieve remote command execution by leveraging Laravel's encryption and deserialization mechanisms.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Rce
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Laravel (versions with insecure deserialization, pre-5.5.41/5.6.30)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Application key (APP_KEY) from Laravel config · Target URL with vulnerable Laravel instance
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 16, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC
by AlienX2001 · remote
https://github.com/AlienX2001/better-poc-for-CVE-2018-15133

This repository contains an automated proof-of-concept for CVE-2018-15133, a deserialization vulnerability in Laravel Framework. The PoC leverages phpggc to generate malicious serialized objects and automates the exploitation process via a shell script.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Deserialization
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Laravel Framework <= 5.6.29 / <= 5.5.40
No auth needed
Prerequisites: phpggc installed · base64 encoded APP_KEY · vulnerable Laravel instance
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 16, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC
by bukitbarisan · poc
https://github.com/bukitbarisan/laravel-rce-cve-2018-15133

This repository contains a functional exploit for CVE-2018-15133, a Laravel RCE vulnerability leveraging deserialization via the APP_KEY. It includes multiple gadget chains for different Laravel versions and a web interface to execute commands.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Rce
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Laravel (versions 5.4.27, 5.5.39, 5.8.30)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Valid Laravel APP_KEY · Target URL with vulnerable Laravel instance
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 16, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC
by Bilelxdz · remote
https://github.com/Bilelxdz/Laravel-CVE-2018-15133

This Python script automates the exploitation of CVE-2018-15133 by sending a malicious curl request to a target Laravel site, attempting to write a PHP shell via a vulnerable endpoint. The script appends the exploit command to a file for batch execution.

Classification
Working Poc 90%
Attack Type
Rce
Complexity
Trivial
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Laravel Framework (versions affected by CVE-2018-15133)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Target site running vulnerable Laravel version · Network access to the target · PHPUnit present in the target environment
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 16, 2026 Full analysis →
metasploit WORKING POC EXCELLENT
by Ståle Pettersen, aushack · rubypocunix
https://github.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/blob/master/modules/exploits/unix/http/laravel_token_unserialize_exec.rb

This Metasploit module exploits a PHP Laravel Framework vulnerability (CVE-2018-15133) via insecure unserialize in the decrypt method, allowing remote command execution through crafted X-XSRF-TOKEN headers. It includes multiple payload generation methods and checks for APP_KEY leaks.

Classification
Working Poc 100%
Attack Type
Rce
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Laravel Framework 5.5.40, 5.6.x <= 5.6.29
No auth needed
Prerequisites: knowledge of the Laravel APP_KEY
devstral-2 · analyzed Apr 23, 2026 Full analysis →

Scores

CVSS v3 8.1
EPSS 0.8445
EPSS Percentile 99.3%
Attack Vector NETWORK
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CISA SSVC

Vulnrichment
Exploitation active
Automatable no
Technical Impact total

Details

CISA KEV 2024-01-16
VulnCheck KEV 2023-03-17
InTheWild.io 2024-01-16
ENISA EUVD EUVD-2022-5039
CWE
CWE-502
Status published
Products (2)
laravel/framework 0Packagist
laravel/laravel < 5.5.40
Published Aug 09, 2018
KEV Added Jan 16, 2024
Tracked Since Feb 18, 2026