Joomla\!Application · Joomla
CVE-2019-11809
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 · uneditedAn issue was discovered in Joomla! before 3.9.6. The debug views of com_users do not properly escape user supplied data, which leads to a potential XSS attack vector.
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 confidenceJoomla! before version 3.9.6 contains a cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the debug views of the com_users component. The vulnerability stems from improper escaping of user-supplied data within these debug views, allowing attackers to inject malicious scripts that execute in the context of other users' browsers.
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
>= 1.7.0, < 3.9.6CVSS 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
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Changed
- Confidentiality
- Low
- Integrity
- Low
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N
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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Determine installed Joomla! versionLocate the version.php file in your Joomla installation (typically at /libraries/cms/version.php or check the administrator manifest files). Alternatively, log into the Joomla administrator panel and check the system information or help menu for the installed version.Affected if The installed version is between 1.7.0 and 3.9.5 inclusive (versions prior to 3.9.6).
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Verify com_users debug functionality is accessibleNavigate to the com_users debug views in the Joomla administrator panel, typically under Users > Debug Users or a debug menu item within the com_users component. Check if these debug views load without access restrictions.Affected if The com_users debug views are accessible and the Joomla version is vulnerable (prior to 3.9.6).
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Check if debug mode or debug plugin is enabledIn the Joomla administrator panel, go to System > Global Configuration > System tab and check if Debug System is set to Yes. Also check if any debug plugin for com_users is enabled under Extensions > Plugins.Affected if Debug mode is enabled and the Joomla version falls within the affected range, making exploitation more likely.
Your environment is affected if Joomla! version is between 1.7.0 and 3.9.5 and the com_users debug views are accessible or debug mode is enabled.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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 data3.9.6
Update Joomla! to version 3.9.6 or later, which includes proper escaping of user data in the com_users debug views. Alternatively, if immediate patching is not possible, disable the debug views or restrict access to the com_users debug functionality.
Fix this in Joomla\!
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,224.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2019-11809 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2019-11809 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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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.
- 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
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