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Joomla\!Application · Joomla

CVE-2018-11322

HIGH · 7.5 CVSS v3.0 Published 2018-05-22
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 3.8.8 or later.
See remediation →
81/100
Remediation priority · High
Remotely reachable 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
An issue was discovered in Joomla! Core before 3.8.8. Depending on the server configuration, PHAR files might be handled as executable PHP scripts by the webserver.

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 · high confidence

In Joomla! Core before 3.8.8, depending on server configuration, PHAR (PHP Archive) files can be incorrectly handled as executable PHP scripts by the webserver rather than being served as static files. This misconfiguration can allow attackers to achieve remote code execution by uploading malicious PHAR files and triggering them via phar:// stream wrappers.

MitigationUpgrade Joomla! Core to version 3.8.8 or later. Additionally, configure the webserver to serve PHAR files as static content and prevent PHP execution in upload directories.

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
Joomla\!Application
Affected:< 3.8.8

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
High
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

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. Determine installed Joomla version
    Locate the Joomla version file (typically /libraries/cms/version.php or check the administrator manifest files) and read the VERSION constant, or use the administrator backend by navigating to Help > System Information > Joomla! version
    Affected if The installed version is any release before 3.8.8 (e.g., 3.8.7, 3.8.6, 3.7.x, etc.)
  2. Identify file upload functionality
    Check if any Joomla extensions or core components that allow user file uploads are enabled (such as com_media, com_phocadownload, or third-party gallery/upload extensions). Inspect the /media or /images directories and any custom upload directories under the webroot
    Affected if File upload functionality exists and uploads are stored within the web-accessible document root where PHP scripts may be executable
  3. Verify webserver PHAR handling
    Examine the webserver configuration (Apache .htaccess, Apache vhost config, or Nginx config) for directives that may treat PHAR files as PHP scripts. Look for AddHandler or SetHandler directives that map .phar extensions to PHP handlers, and check if PHAR files are explicitly excluded from being served as static content
    Affected if The webserver is configured to execute .phar files as PHP scripts rather than serve them as static files (e.g., AddHandler php-script .phar or similar directives exist)
  4. Check PHP execution in upload directories
    Review the webserver and PHP configuration to determine whether PHP scripts are permitted to execute from directories where uploaded files are stored. Examine .htaccess files or vhost configurations for the upload directories to see if PHP execution is explicitly disabled
    Affected if Uploaded PHAR files can be accessed via phar:// stream wrappers and PHP execution is allowed in the upload directory or any subdirectory where files are stored

You are affected if your Joomla installation is version 3.8.7 or earlier AND your webserver is misconfigured to execute PHAR files as PHP scripts in directories where file uploads are stored.

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
Upgrade available Upgrade to 3.8.8 or later
Fixed in 3.8.8
Interim mitigation

Upgrade Joomla! Core to version 3.8.8 or later. Additionally, configure the webserver to serve PHAR files as static content and prevent PHP execution in upload directories.

Fix this in Joomla\! Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
14.0 hours of engineering $2,380
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,808.

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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-2018-11322 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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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