CVE-2026-53933: Maravel PHP Framework Information Disclosure

CVE-2026-53933 Overview

CVE-2026-53933 is a side-channel information disclosure vulnerability in Maravel, a PHP framework oriented towards dependency injection. Versions prior to 10.73.1 register raw placeholder keys from dynamic routes into the flat static route checklist. Attackers can submit literal template syntax such as GET /api/v1/users/{id} to force a mismatched static route lookup. The router bypasses the dynamic tree engine, captures no arguments, and triggers a native PHP 8+ ArgumentCountError. The framework returns a 500 Internal Server Error instead of a uniform 404 Not Found, exposing valid route templates and controller parameter names. This vulnerability maps to [CWE-203] (Observable Discrepancy).

Critical Impact
Attackers can programmatically enumerate internal route parameter names and controller schemas by observing HTTP status code differences.

Affected Products

Maravel PHP framework versions prior to 10.73.1
Applications built on macropay-solutions/maravel-framework package
PHP 8+ deployments running affected Maravel versions

Discovery Timeline

2026-09-08 - CVE-2026-53933 published to NVD
2026-09-09 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-53933

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability originates in Maravel's route compilation logic. When the framework compiles a route containing dynamic placeholders such as /api/v1/users/{id}, it mistakenly inserts the raw placeholder string into the flat static route map. This static map is intended to hold only literal, fully qualified URIs for fast lookup.

When an attacker sends a request whose path exactly matches the raw template string, the router matches against the static map before consulting the dynamic tree engine. Because the static match bypasses parameter extraction, no arguments are captured. The controller method then receives fewer arguments than its signature requires. PHP 8+ enforces strict argument counts and throws ArgumentCountError, producing an HTTP 500 response.

Routes that do not exist return a standard 404 response. This discrepancy allows an attacker to distinguish valid route templates from invalid ones purely by observing status codes. See the Macropay Solutions Documentation and GitHub Wiki for Laravel for framework internals.

Root Cause

The router compiler treats placeholder-bearing route patterns as eligible for the static lookup table. Static and dynamic route registration should be mutually exclusive. The absence of that separation creates an observable discrepancy between valid and invalid endpoints.

Attack Vector

An unauthenticated remote attacker fuzzes candidate route templates against the target application. Requests containing literal {param} syntax that correspond to real routes trigger 500 responses. Requests targeting non-existent paths return 404. The attacker aggregates these signals to reconstruct the internal routing table and controller parameter names.

No verified exploitation code available. Attack pattern summary:
GET /api/v1/users/{id}     -> 500 (route exists, ArgumentCountError)
GET /api/v1/nonexistent    -> 404 (route absent)
GET /admin/orders/{order}  -> 500 (route exists)

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-53933

Indicators of Compromise

HTTP request logs containing literal brace characters such as {id}, {user}, or {token} in URI paths.
Spikes in 500 Internal Server Error responses correlated with sequential path scanning from a single source.
PHP error logs recording ArgumentCountError exceptions originating from controller method invocations.

Detection Strategies

Alert on any inbound HTTP request whose path contains unescaped { or } characters.
Correlate 500 responses with request paths matching known route template patterns to identify reconnaissance.
Track per-source-IP ratios of 500 to 404 responses; elevated ratios indicate route enumeration.

Monitoring Recommendations

Ingest web server access logs and PHP-FPM error logs into a centralized analytics platform for correlation.
Monitor for repeated ArgumentCountError stack traces referencing framework routing components.
Baseline normal 4xx and 5xx response distributions per endpoint to surface anomalous scanning behavior.

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-53933

Immediate Actions Required

Upgrade the macropay-solutions/maravel-framework package to version 10.73.1 or later.
Deploy a global middleware that rejects requests containing literal brace patterns before they reach the router.
Configure the application to return a uniform 404 response for uncaught ArgumentCountError exceptions.

Patch Information

Version 10.73.1 contains the patch. The fix ensures placeholder-bearing route patterns are excluded from the flat static route checklist, forcing all dynamic routes through the tree engine where parameter capture occurs correctly. Obtain the update from the Packagist Laravel Framework Package.

Workarounds

Implement a global middleware that inspects incoming request paths and rejects any containing { or } characters with a 404 response.
Add a global exception handler that converts ArgumentCountError from routing into a 404 to eliminate the status-code side channel.
Deploy a web application firewall rule blocking URI patterns containing literal template syntax.

bash

# Update via Composer
composer require macropay-solutions/maravel-framework:^10.73.1
composer update macropay-solutions/maravel-framework