Check PHP Dependencies Vulnerabilities using Composer

Web applications rely heavily on various libraries and frameworks to enhance functionality and streamline development processes. However, it is crucial to ensure that these dependencies are free from vulnerabilities that could compromise the security of the PHP applications. One effective way to address this concern is by using the Composer. This tutorial demonstrates how to check PHP dependencies vulnerabilities using Composer.

The composer audit command allows checking for known vulnerabilities in the PHP dependencies. It analyzes the installed dependencies and compares them against a vulnerability database. The command will then display a report indicating any known vulnerabilities found.

composer audit

Here's an example output when no security vulnerabilities found:

No security vulnerability advisories found

Here's an example of what the output might look like when vulnerabilities are found:

Found 2 security vulnerability advisories affecting 2 packages:
+-------------------+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Package           | guzzlehttp/psr7                                                                  |
| CVE               | CVE-2023-29197                                                                   |
| Title             | Improper header validation                                                       |
| URL               | https://github.com/guzzle/psr7/security/advisories/GHSA-wxmh-65f7-jcvw           |
| Affected versions | >=2,<2.4.5|<1.9.1                                                                |
| Reported at       | 2023-04-17T16:00:00+00:00                                                        |
+-------------------+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+-------------------+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Package           | phpseclib/phpseclib                                                              |
| CVE               | CVE-2023-27560                                                                   |
| Title             | Infinite Loop vulnerability                                                      |
| URL               | https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-hm7p-r324-hhf3                                |
| Affected versions | >=3.0.0,<3.0.19                                                                  |
| Reported at       | 2023-03-06T09:20:00+00:00                                                        |
+-------------------+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------+