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CVE-2026-65889 – Unauthenticated Recursive Directory Deletion – Gridbox Extension for Joomla (ver…

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Summary

CVE-2026-65889 is a critical unauthenticated recursive directory deletion vulnerability affecting the balbooa.com Gridbox extension for Joomla in all versions prior to 2.20.2. The flaw resides in the generateNewApp method, which can be invoked by any unauthenticated remote attacker to recursively delete directories on the web server — potentially destroying an entire Joomla installation. With a CVSS 4.0 score of 9.2 (Critical) and no authentication required, this vulnerability poses an immediate threat of total site destruction to any internet-facing Joomla instance running a vulnerable Gridbox build.

Technical details

  • Root cause: The generateNewApp method in the Gridbox component (com_gridbox) performs recursive directory deletion without enforcing any access controls or authentication checks (CWE-284: Improper Access Control; CWE-22: Path Traversal).
  • Trigger conditions: No authentication, no user interaction, and no special network conditions are required. The CVSS 4.0 vector (AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N) confirms zero prerequisites beyond network reachability.
  • Attack vector: A remote, unauthenticated attacker sends a crafted HTTP/HTTPS request to the vulnerable Gridbox component endpoint over the public internet.
  • Impact: Successful exploitation causes recursive deletion of server-side directories, resulting in complete destruction of website content and loss of service availability. The CVSS 4.0 vector scores VA:H (Vulnerable system Availability: High) and SA:H (Subsequent system Availability: High), reflecting the potential for cascading damage beyond the immediate Joomla installation.
  • No public proof-of-concept has been identified at time of publication; however, the broader Gridbox/balbooa ecosystem is actively targeted by threat actors in mid-2026.

Affected software

  • balbooa.com Gridbox extension for Joomla — versions 1.0.0 through 2.20.1 (all versions prior to 2.20.2)

Severity

  • CVSS 4.0 Score: 9.2 (Critical)
  • CVSS 4.0 Vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:H/AU:Y

Mitigation and recommended actions

  • Immediate action — patch: Upgrade the Gridbox extension to version 2.20.2 or later (released July 29, 2026), which contains the vendor-provided fix.
  • If immediate patching is not feasible: Restrict access to Joomla component endpoints via firewall or Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to trusted IP ranges, preventing unauthenticated internet-facing requests from reaching com_gridbox endpoints.
  • Context: Other vulnerabilities in the balbooa/Gridbox ecosystem — including an unauthenticated authentication bypass (CVE-2026-61425) and an unauthenticated arbitrary file upload (CVE-2026-56291) — have been confirmed as actively exploited in the wild and added to CISA’s Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. Organizations running any balbooa/Gridbox product should treat patching as urgent.

IONIX Status

The IONIX research team is tracking ongoing exploitation attempts and recommends immediate patching. Potentially affected assets are outlined in this post.

References

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