PHP2Shell : See if you’re affected with a free external attack surface scan. Click Here > 

Back
New CVE Detected

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

Be the first to know when new zero-days emerge:

Subscribe to Email Alerts
Subscribe to RSS Feed

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

Are you exposed?

Get a free report of your organization’s exposure to this CVE and threat

  • Mapping of all Assets with this Technology
  • Identification of potentially exposed assets to this CVE
  • Confirmation of verified exploitable assets
Get Exposure Report

How IONIX’s External Exposure Management Platform Detects and Validates
Zero-Days to Shrink MTTR

1

Map your entire attack surface (continously)

IONIX uses multi-factor discovery methods, including DNS analysis, certificate mapping, metadata inspection, and more, to automatically map every internet-facing asset across your environment. This includes cloud instances, third-party platforms, shadow IT, and even forgotten infrastructure that traditional tools miss.

2

Monitor for new CVEs

Dozens of threat intel feeds using agentic technology are continuously analyzed to detect the appearance of proof-of-concept code, exploit kits, and indicators of active targeting. IONIX goes further by applying AI to proactively evaluate whether emerging vulnerabilities are likely to be exploited, even before PoCs go public.

3

Identify Potential External Exposures

Not all CVEs matter. IONIX filters vulnerabilities by asking attacker-centric questions: Can it be reached from the internet? Does it require authentication? Is it being exploited in the wild? This dramatically reduces noise and focuses teams on threats that can actually be weaponized.

4

Create Safe, Scalable Exploit Validations

IONIX transforms real-world PoCs into safe, non-intrusive test payloads that can be run in production environments without disruption. These simulations are precisely targeted to the systems that are vulnerable, ensuring rapid validation without unnecessary load.

5

Execute Exploit Validations

By combining context about software stack, versioning, exposure status, and reachability, IONIX ensures that only the right payloads are executed against the right assets, maximizing efficiency and minimizing risk.

6

Drive Fast and Actionable Remediation

Results are routed through integrations with ticketing, SOAR, and SIEM tools. Issues are written in plain language, bundled into remediation clusters, and prioritized based on asset criticality, exploitability, and blast radius. This shortens mean time to remediation (MTTR) and empowers teams to act with confidence.

Are you exposed?

Get a free report of your organization’s exposure to this CVE and threat

  • Mapping of all Assets with this Technology
  • Identification of potentially exposed assets to this CVE
  • Confirmation of verified exploitable assets
Get Exposure Report
Close

Subscribe to Threat Center RSS

Copy/paste the link below into your preferred RSS reader or follow these instructions to subscribe to Slack alerts.

Open RSS feedSlack setup instructions

Close

Get Real-Time CVE Alerts to Your Email

Be the first to know when new zero-days emerge