diff -u -r php-5.2.17/main/main.c php-5.2.17-patched/main/main.c
--- php-5.2.17/main/main.c	2010-06-20 04:47:24.000000000 +0800
+++ php-5.2.17-patched/main/main.c	2011-12-31 09:59:05.000000000 +0800
@@ -457,6 +457,7 @@
 
 	STD_PHP_INI_BOOLEAN("allow_url_fopen",		"1",		PHP_INI_SYSTEM,		OnUpdateBool,		allow_url_fopen,		php_core_globals,	core_globals)
 	STD_PHP_INI_BOOLEAN("allow_url_include",	"0",		PHP_INI_SYSTEM,		OnUpdateBool,		allow_url_include,		php_core_globals,	core_globals)
+	STD_PHP_INI_ENTRY("max_input_vars",         "1000",     PHP_INI_SYSTEM|PHP_INI_PERDIR,      OnUpdateLongGEZero, max_input_vars, php_core_globals, core_globals)
 	STD_PHP_INI_BOOLEAN("always_populate_raw_post_data",	"0",	PHP_INI_SYSTEM|PHP_INI_PERDIR,	OnUpdateBool,	always_populate_raw_post_data,	php_core_globals,	core_globals)
 
 	STD_PHP_INI_ENTRY("realpath_cache_size",	"16K",		PHP_INI_SYSTEM,		OnUpdateLong,	realpath_cache_size_limit,	virtual_cwd_globals,	cwd_globals)
diff -u -r php-5.2.17/main/php_globals.h php-5.2.17-patched/main/php_globals.h
--- php-5.2.17/main/php_globals.h	2010-01-03 17:23:27.000000000 +0800
+++ php-5.2.17-patched/main/php_globals.h	2011-12-31 09:59:05.000000000 +0800
@@ -160,6 +160,7 @@
 	zend_bool com_initialized;
 #endif
 	long max_input_nesting_level;
+	long max_input_vars;
 	zend_bool in_user_include;
 	zend_bool in_error_log;
 };
diff -u -r php-5.2.17/main/php_variables.c php-5.2.17-patched/main/php_variables.c
--- php-5.2.17/main/php_variables.c	2010-01-03 17:23:27.000000000 +0800
+++ php-5.2.17-patched/main/php_variables.c	2011-12-31 09:59:05.000000000 +0800
@@ -187,6 +187,9 @@
 				}
 				if (zend_symtable_find(symtable1, escaped_index, index_len + 1, (void **) &gpc_element_p) == FAILURE
 					|| Z_TYPE_PP(gpc_element_p) != IS_ARRAY) {
+					if (zend_hash_num_elements(symtable1) >= PG(max_input_vars)) {
+						php_error_docref(NULL TSRMLS_CC, E_ERROR, "Input variables exceeded %ld. To increase the limit change max_input_vars in php.ini.", PG(max_input_vars));
+					}
 					MAKE_STD_ZVAL(gpc_element);
 					array_init(gpc_element);
 					zend_symtable_update(symtable1, escaped_index, index_len + 1, &gpc_element, sizeof(zval *), (void **) &gpc_element_p);
@@ -232,6 +235,9 @@
 				zend_symtable_exists(symtable1, escaped_index, index_len + 1)) {
 				zval_ptr_dtor(&gpc_element);
 			} else {
+				if (zend_hash_num_elements(symtable1) >= PG(max_input_vars)) {
+					php_error_docref(NULL TSRMLS_CC, E_ERROR, "Input variables exceeded %ld. To increase the limit change max_input_vars in php.ini.", PG(max_input_vars));
+				}
 				zend_symtable_update(symtable1, escaped_index, index_len + 1, &gpc_element, sizeof(zval *), (void **) &gpc_element_p);
 			}
 			if (escaped_index != index) {