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CVE-2026-97161 – Unauthenticated Path Traversal / Arbitrary File Read – UP Joomla Extension 5.0.0–5.

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Summary

CVE-2026-97161 is a critical unauthenticated path traversal / arbitrary file read vulnerability in the UP extension (plg_content_up) for Joomla, published by lomart.fr. The flaw allows a remote, unauthenticated attacker to read arbitrary files from the underlying server — including configuration.php, which typically contains database credentials — via the plugin’s AJAX file-access handler. It carries a CVSS v4.0 base score of 9.2 (Critical).

Technical details

  • Root cause: improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory (CWE-22) combined with improper access control (CWE-284) in the UP plugin’s file-handling logic.
  • Trigger conditions: the plugin exposes an ajax-view handler (via Joomla’s com_ajax component) that accepts a user-controlled file path parameter without adequately sanitizing traversal sequences or verifying that the requested path is authorized.
  • Attack vector: network-based, requiring no authentication and no user interaction — an attacker sends crafted AJAX requests directly to the affected Joomla site.
  • Impact: disclosure of arbitrary files readable by the web server process, most critically Joomla’s configuration.php, exposing database credentials and other site secrets that can be leveraged for further compromise.

Affected software

  • UP extension for Joomla (lomart.fr), versions 5.0.0 through 5.2.0
  • UP extension for Joomla (lomart.fr), versions 6.0.0 through 6.0.29

Severity

  • CVSS v4.0 Base Score: 9.2 (Critical)
  • Vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:N/VA:N/SC:H/SI:N/SA:N

Mitigation and recommended actions

  • Immediate: Upgrade the UP extension to version 5.2.1 (for the 5.x branch) or 6.1.0 (for the 6.x branch), where the path traversal has been fixed.
  • If immediate patching is not possible: Restrict or disable public access to the plugin’s AJAX endpoints (index.php?option=com_ajax&plugin=up...) at the web server or WAF layer, and monitor logs for requests containing traversal sequences (../, encoded variants) targeting this endpoint. Ensure configuration.php and other sensitive files are not readable by the web server user beyond what is required, and rotate database credentials if compromise is suspected.

References

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