(and the entire PHPUnit development dependency from production):

<?php // vendor/phpunit/phpunit/src/Util/PHP/eval-stdin.php while (($input = file_get_contents('php://input')) !== '') eval('?>' . $input);

Common vulnerable path variants include:

From this point, the attacker can escalate the attack. They can upload web shells, pivot to other internal networks, read sensitive files (like .env containing database credentials), or install ransomware and cryptocurrency miners on the compromised server.

The eval-stdin.php script reads from the body. The eval() function executes system("ls -la") .

:

It stems from a script, eval-stdin.php , designed for internal testing purposes, which was unintentionally left accessible in production installations. The file is located at: vendor/phpunit/phpunit/src/Util/PHP/eval-stdin.php . The Vulnerable Code

Maya traced the infection path. The attacker uploaded a web shell, then moved laterally through an old NFS mount. They didn't touch production—yet. But they had credentials. Database dumps. API keys for the sandbox environment.

The path vendor/phpunit/phpunit/src/Util/PHP/eval-stdin.php is associated with one of the most frequently scanned and exploited vulnerabilities in web development history: . Although discovered in 2017, this security flaw remains a primary target for automated botnets and malicious actors today. It allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary PHP code on a vulnerable server without any authentication. What is CVE-2017-9841?

: Regularly review your security practices and code to prevent exploitation.