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CVE-2026-76570 – Unauthenticated SQL Injection to Remote Code Execution – JCTables Joomla Extension

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Summary

CVE-2026-76570 is a critical, unauthenticated SQL injection vulnerability in the JCTables extension for Joomla, published by joomcode.com. The extension’s front-end CRUD API controller lacks token validation and access control on its data read/write endpoints, allowing unauthenticated attackers to inject arbitrary SQL. Researchers demonstrated a full exploit chain that escalates this SQL injection into remote code execution (RCE) by hijacking a Super Administrator account and installing a webshell, making this a maximum-severity, network-exploitable issue.

Technical details

  • Root cause 1 – missing authorization: The JCTables front-end controller performs no Session::checkToken() CSRF check, no access check, and no $user->authorise() call on endpoints that modify database content.
  • Root cause 2 – defective input sanitization: The extension’s internal ladb_escape() helper function incorrectly treats any attacker-supplied string already wrapped in single quotes as "pre-escaped" and returns it unmodified, allowing SQL metacharacters to bypass the intended escaping logic.
  • Vulnerable endpoints/tasks:
    • getdatarow – reads arbitrary table rows (used to read admin credential data).
    • updatecell – writes/modifies arbitrary database column values (used to overwrite the admin password hash).
    • getrow – supports boolean-blind SQL injection via crafted index/OR conditions (used to enumerate the Joomla database table prefix).
  • Attack vector: Fully unauthenticated, remote, over HTTP(S) — no user interaction and no privileges required.
  • Demonstrated impact/exploit chain:
    1. Extract the Joomla database table prefix via boolean-blind SQL injection.
    2. Read Super Administrator credential data via the unauthenticated getdatarow endpoint.
    3. Overwrite the admin account’s password hash via the vulnerable updatecell endpoint.
    4. Authenticate to the Joomla admin panel as Super Administrator using the attacker-set password.
    5. Install a self-deleting system plugin through the Joomla installer to drop a webshell (e.g., under /images/).
    6. Execute arbitrary commands as the web server user, then restore the original password hash to erase evidence of the intrusion.
  • Impact: Full confidentiality, integrity, and availability compromise of the affected site/server (database read/write, admin account takeover, and remote code execution).

Affected software

  • JCTables extension for Joomla (joomcode.com), versions 1.0.0 through 1.20.0 (vulnerable), including builds documented as affected up through 1.10.31.2 in vendor/researcher analysis.
  • Fixed in version 1.21.1 and later.

Severity

  • CVSS Score: 10.0 (Critical)
  • CVSS v4.0 Vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:H/SI:H/SA:H/E:A/AU:Y
  • Network attack vector, low attack complexity, no privileges or user interaction required, with high impact to confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

Mitigation and recommended actions

  • Immediate: Upgrade the JCTables extension to version 1.21.1 or later, which resolves both the missing-authorization and defective-escaping issues.
  • If immediate patching is not possible:
    • Disable or remove the JCTables extension until it can be updated.
    • Restrict or block external access to the extension’s front-end controller/API endpoints (e.g., via web application firewall rules blocking requests referencing the vulnerable getdatarow, updatecell, and getrow tasks) as a temporary compensating control.
    • Monitor Joomla Super Administrator accounts for unexpected password changes, unfamiliar login events, or newly installed/uninstalled plugins.
    • Rotate administrator credentials and review installed plugins/files (e.g., under /images/) for unauthorized webshells following any suspected compromise.

References

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