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JoomlaCMS

CVE-2007-5389

MEDIUM · 6.8 CVSS v2.0 Published 2007-10-12
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
77/100
Remediation priority · High
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
PHP remote file inclusion vulnerability in preview.php in the swMenuFree (com_swmenufree) 4.6 component for Joomla! allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary PHP code via a URL in the mosConfig_absolute_path parameter. NOTE: a reliable third party disputes this issue because preview.php tests a certain constant to prevent direct requests

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · moderate confidence

Remote file inclusion vulnerability in Joomla swMenuFree 4.6 component's preview.php allows code execution via the mosConfig_absolute_path parameter. However, the vulnerability is disputed by a third party who claims preview.php includes a constant check to prevent direct requests.

MitigationVerify whether the constant check in preview.php properly prevents exploitation; if not, upgrade swMenuFree to a patched version or disable/remove the component.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
JoomlaCMS
Affected:all versions
SwmenufreeApplication
Affected:= 4.6

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
M
Authentication
None
Confidentiality
Partial
Integrity
Partial
Availability
Partial

AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Confirm swMenuFree component installation
    Look for the swMenuFree component directory in the Joomla installation, typically at /components/com_swmenufree/ or /administrator/components/com_swmenufree/
    Affected if The swMenuFree 4.6 component directory exists in the Joomla components folder
  2. Verify swMenuFree version
    Check the component's manifest XML file (typically swmenufree.xml in the component directory) or the Joomla extension manager for the installed version number
    Affected if The installed version is swMenuFree 4.6 specifically
  3. Locate vulnerable preview.php file
    Check for the presence of preview.php within the swMenuFree component directory (e.g., /components/com_swmenufree/preview.php)
    Affected if The preview.php file exists in the swMenuFree component directory
  4. Inspect constant check in preview.php
    Open preview.php and search for a constant definition check such as 'defined(_VALID_MOS)' or 'defined("_VALID_MOS")' at the beginning of the file
    Affected if The constant check is missing, allowing direct access, OR the check exists but is improperly implemented (e.g., using 'or die()' without halting execution)
  5. Verify component is enabled
    Check Joomla's extension manager or database #__extensions table to confirm the swMenuFree component is enabled and published
    Affected if The component is enabled and accessible on the frontend

You are affected if swMenuFree version 4.6 is installed with preview.php accessible and the constant check in preview.php is missing or improperly implemented.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

From vendor data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Verify whether the constant check in preview.php properly prevents exploitation; if not, upgrade swMenuFree to a patched version or disable/remove the component.

Fix this in Joomla Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation1.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
6.0 hours of engineering $1,060
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Scan for this in your stack

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2007-5389 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.

What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data