CVE-2025-1219 is a vulnerability identified in multiple PHP 8.x versions affecting the DOM and SimpleXML extensions. When these extensions request HTTP resources that respond with redirects, the PHP engine incorrectly uses the original content-type header rather than the redirected resource's header to determine the character set (charset) for parsing the returned document. This misinterpretation can lead to the document being parsed incorrectly, which may allow attackers to bypass validation checks that depend on correct charset interpretation. Such bypasses could facilitate injection attacks or data corruption if the application relies on strict XML validation. The vulnerability has a CVSS 4.0 base score of 6.3, indicating medium severity, with network attack vector, high attack complexity, no privileges or user interaction required, and limited impact on confidentiality. No known exploits have been reported in the wild as of the publication date. The issue is rooted in CWE-1116, which relates to improper handling of character encoding in XML processing. Since PHP is widely used in web applications, especially in Europe, this vulnerability could affect many systems that fetch and parse XML or HTML resources via HTTP redirects using these extensions.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-1219 primarily concerns web applications and services that utilize PHP 8.x versions with DOM or SimpleXML extensions to process external HTTP resources. Incorrect charset handling after redirects can lead to improper parsing of XML or HTML documents, potentially allowing attackers to bypass input validation or content security policies. This could result in injection vulnerabilities, data integrity issues, or logic flaws within applications. Organizations in sectors with high reliance on PHP-based web infrastructure—such as e-commerce, government portals, financial services, and media—may face increased risk of targeted attacks exploiting this flaw. Although no direct confidentiality or availability impact is indicated, the integrity and correctness of processed data could be compromised, undermining trust and compliance with data handling regulations like GDPR. The medium severity rating suggests that while exploitation is not trivial, the widespread use of PHP in Europe elevates the importance of timely mitigation to prevent potential exploitation scenarios.

1. Upgrade PHP to the latest patched versions: specifically, update to at least PHP 8.1.32, 8.2.28, 8.3.19, or 8.4.5 once they become available. 2. Audit and review all code that uses DOM or SimpleXML extensions to fetch and parse HTTP resources, especially where redirects may occur. 3. Implement additional validation layers to verify the charset of XML/HTML documents independently of PHP’s automatic detection, possibly by enforcing strict content-type headers on trusted sources. 4. Use network-level controls to restrict HTTP redirects from untrusted sources or sanitize inputs that trigger external HTTP requests. 5. Monitor application logs for unusual parsing errors or validation bypass attempts that could indicate exploitation attempts. 6. Educate developers about the risks of relying solely on PHP’s charset detection in XML parsing and encourage defensive coding practices. 7. Consider deploying Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) with rules to detect anomalous XML payloads or redirect patterns that could exploit this vulnerability.