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CVE-2026-65890 – Unauthenticated SQL Injection – Gridbox extension for Joomla (versions < 2.20.2)

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Summary

CVE-2026-65890 is a critical unauthenticated SQL injection vulnerability in the Gridbox extension for Joomla (com_gridbox), developed by balbooa.com, affecting all versions from 1.0.0 through 2.20.1. With a CVSS 4.0 score of 9.2, the flaw exposes multiple SQL injection vectors that require no authentication, enabling remote attackers to exfiltrate the underlying Joomla database — including user credentials — without any prior access. Balbooa released version 2.20.2 on July 29, 2026, addressing this and a broader set of critical vulnerabilities disclosed in the same extension.

Technical details

  • Root cause: Multiple request parameters across Gridbox components lack proper input sanitization, allowing attacker-controlled values to be injected directly into SQL queries (CWE-89: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command). Security research documented the systemic pattern as "trusting a value from the request" recurring across unrelated files throughout the extension’s codebase.
  • Trigger conditions: No authentication, prior account, or user interaction is required. The vulnerability is exploitable via standard HTTP/HTTPS requests sent directly to the Joomla site.
  • Attack vector: Network-accessible; any remote, unauthenticated attacker can send crafted HTTP requests targeting the vulnerable query endpoints exposed by the com_gridbox component.
  • Impact: Successful exploitation enables full exfiltration of the Joomla database, including username and password hash tables, leading to potential account takeover and further system compromise. CVSS 4.0 metrics reflect high confidentiality impact on the vulnerable system (VC:H) and high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact on subsequent systems (SC:H/SI:H/SA:H).

Affected software

  • Gridbox extension for Joomla (com_gridbox) by balbooa.com, versions 1.0.0 through 2.20.1

Severity

  • CVSS 4.0 Base Score: 9.2 (Critical)
  • Vector String: CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:L/VA:L/SC:H/SI:H/SA:H
  • CWE: CWE-89 – Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command

Mitigation and recommended actions

  • Immediate: Upgrade Gridbox to version 2.20.2 or later, released July 29, 2026, which closes this injection and the full set of concurrently disclosed vulnerabilities.
  • If immediate patching is not possible: Restrict public HTTP/HTTPS access to Gridbox component endpoints (paths matching /components/com_gridbox/ and requests including option=com_gridbox) via web application firewall rules or server-level access controls. Note: this reduces but does not eliminate exposure, and patching remains the only complete remediation.

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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