diff --git a/.github/workflows/shared_meterpreter_acceptance.yml b/.github/workflows/shared_meterpreter_acceptance.yml
index 956d5fd4b0728..7e19d7e766c04 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/shared_meterpreter_acceptance.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/shared_meterpreter_acceptance.yml
@@ -42,9 +42,9 @@ jobs:
       - name: Checkout metasploit-payloads
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
         with:
-          repository: rapid7/metasploit-payloads
+          repository: zeroSteiner/metasploit-payloads
           path: metasploit-payloads
-          ref: ${{ inputs.metasploit_payloads_commit }}
+          ref: fix/met/php-udp-sockets-2
 
       - name: Build Meterpreter payloads
         run: |
@@ -112,11 +112,12 @@ jobs:
         if: runner.os == 'Linux'
         run: sudo apt-get -y --no-install-recommends install libpcap-dev graphviz
 
-      - uses: shivammathur/setup-php@c541c155eee45413f5b09a52248675b1a2575231
+      - uses: shivammathur/setup-php@verbose
         if: ${{ matrix.meterpreter.name == 'php' }}
         with:
           php-version: ${{ matrix.meterpreter.runtime_version }}
           tools: none
+          extensions: sockets
 
       - name: Set up Python
         if: ${{ matrix.meterpreter.name == 'python' }}
@@ -137,7 +138,7 @@ jobs:
           REM pcap dependencies
           powershell -Command "[System.Net.ServicePointManager]::ServerCertificateValidationCallback = {$true} ; [Net.ServicePointManager]::SecurityProtocol = [Net.SecurityProtocolType]::Tls12; (New-Object System.Net.WebClient).DownloadFile('https://www.winpcap.org/install/bin/WpdPack_4_1_2.zip', 'C:\Windows\Temp\WpdPack_4_1_2.zip')"
 
-          choco install 7zip.installServerCertificateValidationCallback
+          choco install 7zip.install
           7z x "C:\Windows\Temp\WpdPack_4_1_2.zip" -o"C:\"
 
           dir C:\\
@@ -255,9 +256,9 @@ jobs:
         if: ${{ inputs.build_metasploit_payloads && matrix.meterpreter.name != 'mettle' }}
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
         with:
-          repository: rapid7/metasploit-payloads
+          repository: zeroSteiner/metasploit-payloads
           path: metasploit-payloads
-          ref: ${{ inputs.metasploit_payloads_commit }}
+          ref: fix/met/php-udp-sockets-2
 
       - name: Build Windows payloads via Visual Studio 2019 Build (Windows)
         shell: cmd
@@ -272,23 +273,50 @@ jobs:
         shell: pwsh
         if: ${{ matrix.meterpreter.name == 'windows_meterpreter' && matrix.os == 'windows-2022' && inputs.build_metasploit_payloads }}
         run: |
+          $vsInstallerDir='C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\Installer'
+          Write-Host "Listing $vsInstallerDir"
+          Get-ChildItem -Force $vsInstallerDir | ForEach-Object { Write-Host $_.Name }
+          Write-Host "vs_installer exists: $(Test-Path (Join-Path $vsInstallerDir 'vs_installer.exe'))"
+          
           Set-Location "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\Installer\"
           dir
-          $InstallPath = "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\Enterprise"
-          $WorkLoads = '--config "D:\a\metasploit-payloads\metasploit-payloads\metasploit-payloads\c\meterpreter\vs-configs\vs2022.vsconfig"'
-          $Arguments = ('/c', "vs_installer.exe", 'modify', '--installPath', "`"$InstallPath`"", $WorkLoads, '--quiet', '--norestart', '--nocache')
-          $process = Start-Process -FilePath cmd.exe -ArgumentList $Arguments -Wait -PassThru -WindowStyle Hidden
-          if ($process.ExitCode -eq 0) {
-            Write-Host "components have been successfully added"
+          $installer = 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\Installer\vs_installer.exe'
+          $installPath = 'C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\Enterprise'
+          $vsconfig = Join-Path $env:GITHUB_WORKSPACE 'metasploit-payloads\c\meterpreter\vs-configs\vs2022.vsconfig'
+          Write-Host "Checking vsconfig path: $vsconfig"
+          
+          # show current workspace and mapping info
+          Write-Host "GITHUB_WORKSPACE: $env:GITHUB_WORKSPACE"
+            Write-Host "PWD:"
+            Get-Location
+            
+          # quick exists check
+          if (Test-Path -LiteralPath $vsconfig) {
+            Write-Host "vsconfig FOUND at: $vsconfig"
           } else {
-            Write-Host "components were not installed"
+            Write-Host "vsconfig NOT FOUND at: $vsconfig"
             exit 1
           }
-          Set-Location "D:\a\metasploit-payloads\metasploit-payloads\metasploit-payloads\c\meterpreter"
-          $r = Invoke-Command -ScriptBlock { cmd.exe /c 'git submodule init && git submodule update' }
-          Write-Host $r
-          $r = Invoke-Command -ScriptBlock { cmd.exe /c '"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\Enterprise\Common7\Tools\VsDevCmd.bat" && make.bat' }
-          Write-Host $r
+
+          # Show vsconfig contents for debugging
+          Write-Host "`n---- vsconfig contents ----"
+          Get-Content $vsconfig | ForEach-Object { Write-Host $_ }
+          Write-Host "---- end vsconfig ----`n"
+
+          $stdoutFile = Join-Path $env:RUNNER_TEMP 'vs_modify_stdout.txt'
+          $stderrFile = Join-Path $env:RUNNER_TEMP 'vs_modify_stderr.txt'
+
+          Write-Host "Running installer with redirected output..."
+          # Removed --quiet flag to get more verbose output
+          $argList = @('modify', '--installPath', $installPath, '--config', $vsconfig, '--norestart', '--nocache')
+          $proc = Start-Process -FilePath $installer -ArgumentList $argList -Wait -PassThru -NoNewWindow
+
+          Write-Host "Installer exit code: $($proc.ExitCode)"
+          if ($proc.ExitCode -ne 0) {
+            Write-Host "components were not installed (exit code $($proc.ExitCode)). See logs above."
+            exit $proc.ExitCode
+          }
+          Write-Host "components have been successfully added"
         working-directory: metasploit-payloads
 
       - name: Build Windows payloads via Visual Studio 2025 Build (Windows)
diff --git a/Gemfile.lock b/Gemfile.lock
index da2ab98c10a39..c2d36b1dd6752 100644
--- a/Gemfile.lock
+++ b/Gemfile.lock
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ PATH
       metasploit-concern
       metasploit-credential
       metasploit-model
-      metasploit-payloads (= 2.0.237)
+      metasploit-payloads (= 2.0.238)
       metasploit_data_models (>= 6.0.7)
       metasploit_payloads-mettle (= 1.0.45)
       mqtt
@@ -352,7 +352,7 @@ GEM
       drb
       mutex_m
       railties (~> 7.0)
-    metasploit-payloads (2.0.237)
+    metasploit-payloads (2.0.238)
     metasploit_data_models (6.0.9)
       activerecord (~> 7.0)
       activesupport (~> 7.0)
diff --git a/LICENSE_GEMS b/LICENSE_GEMS
index 8c906a9452365..b3239bce497d0 100644
--- a/LICENSE_GEMS
+++ b/LICENSE_GEMS
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ metasploit-concern, 5.0.5, "New BSD"
 metasploit-credential, 6.0.19, "New BSD"
 metasploit-framework, 6.4.101, "New BSD"
 metasploit-model, 5.0.4, "New BSD"
-metasploit-payloads, 2.0.237, "3-clause (or ""modified"") BSD"
+metasploit-payloads, 2.0.238, "3-clause (or ""modified"") BSD"
 metasploit_data_models, 6.0.9, "New BSD"
 metasploit_payloads-mettle, 1.0.45, "3-clause (or ""modified"") BSD"
 method_source, 1.1.0, MIT
diff --git a/metasploit-framework.gemspec b/metasploit-framework.gemspec
index d4e9c79feebf9..dd86fdd11f55e 100644
--- a/metasploit-framework.gemspec
+++ b/metasploit-framework.gemspec
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ Gem::Specification.new do |spec|
   # are needed when there's no database
   spec.add_runtime_dependency 'metasploit-model'
   # Needed for Meterpreter
-  spec.add_runtime_dependency 'metasploit-payloads', '2.0.237'
+  spec.add_runtime_dependency 'metasploit-payloads', '2.0.238'
   # Needed for the next-generation POSIX Meterpreter
   spec.add_runtime_dependency 'metasploit_payloads-mettle', '1.0.45'
   # Needed by msfgui and other rpc components