PHP version was the final release of the PHP 5.6 branch. While it contained many security patches at the time of its release in January 2019, it has since reached End of Life (EOL)
and no longer receives official security updates from the PHP Group. Core Vulnerabilities and Security Status Official Support Status
: PHP 5.6.40 reached the end of its security support on December 31, 2018. Any vulnerabilities discovered after this date remain unpatched by the official PHP team. Vulnerability Statistics
: Historic data for PHP 5.6.x versions includes hundreds of vulnerabilities ranging from Denial of Service (DoS) Remote Code Execution (RCE) Specific CVE Examples CVE-2016-10166 : An integer underflow in the _gdContributionsAlloc function that could lead to unspecified impact. CVE-2019-6977 : A heap-based buffer overflow in gdImageColorMatch caused by improper calculation of buffer sizes. CVE-2019-9020 : A heap-based buffer over-read in the xmlrpc_decode
function, potentially allowing an unauthenticated remote attacker to compromise the system. Risks of Using PHP 5.6.40 in 2026 php version 5640 vulnerabilities link
Using an EOL version like 5.6.40 exposes servers to significant risks because: PHP Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2019-11043)
PHP version 5.6.40 was released on January 10, 2019 , as a final security update to address several critical bugs. Official security support for the entire PHP 5.6 branch ended on December 31, 2018
, meaning version 5.6.40 and all prior 5.6.x versions no longer receive official patches for newly discovered flaws. Critical Vulnerabilities in PHP 5.6.40
Because PHP 5.6.40 is end-of-life (EOL), it remains vulnerable to multiple critical issues disclosed since its final release, including: CVE-2024-4577 (Critical - CVSS 9.8): PHP version was the final release of the PHP 5
A remote code execution (RCE) vulnerability that affects PHP running on Windows in CGI configurations. Attackers can bypass previous protections to execute arbitrary commands. Buffer Overflows & Underflows: CVE-2016-10166: An integer underflow in the gd_interpolation.c CVE-2019-6977: A heap-based buffer overflow in gdImageColorMatch Memory Corruption: CVE-2019-9020: A heap-based buffer over-read in xmlrpc_decode that can lead to system compromise. CVE-2019-9021:
A heap-based buffer over-read in the PHAR extension allowing attackers to read memory past actual data. Out-of-Bounds Reads: CVE-2019-9024: An out-of-bounds read error in xmlrpc_decode triggered by a hostile XMLRPC server. Regular Expression Vulnerabilities: CVE-2019-9023: Multiple heap-based buffer over-read instances in regular expression functions. Security Risks of Continued Use
As of 2026, running PHP 5.6.40 poses extreme risks to production environments: PHP Requirements - Knowledgebase - The Events Calendar
Note on Terminology: The exact string "5640" does not correspond to any official PHP version (e.g., 5.6.40 is a real version, often typed as 5.6.40). Given the context of security research and typos, this article addresses PHP 5.6.40 (the final release of the PHP 5.x branch) and explains how to find verified vulnerability links. What Does "End-of-Life" Mean for Security
When software reaches EOL, the developers stop releasing updates—period. This means:
Before providing links, we must address the typo. The correct version nomenclature is 5.6.40. The string "5640" is likely a concatenation error (removing the dots). In security research, precision matters.
When you search for "php version 5640 vulnerabilities link" , you are effectively searching for the security report of the last known state of PHP 5.6.
If you are forced to stay on PHP 5.6.40 due to legacy software constraints, you must implement defense-in-depth strategies immediately:
php.ini, disable functions that are commonly used in exploits, such as:
exec, passthru, shell_exec, system, proc_open, popen, curl_exec, curl_multi_exec, show_source, phpinfoSELECT, INSERT), but rarely DROP or GRANT.