Joomla\!Application · Joomla
CVE-2020-10239
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 3.9.16. Incorrect Access Control in the SQL fieldtype of com_fields allows access for non-superadmin users.
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 3.9.16 contains an incorrect access control vulnerability in the SQL fieldtype component of com_fields. This allows non-superadmin users to gain unauthorized access to SQL fieldtype functionality that should be restricted to superadministrators.
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
>= 3.7.0, < 3.9.16CVSS 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
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Check installed Joomla! versionNavigate to Components > Joomla! Update or check the /administrator/manifests/files/joomla.xml file for the <version> tag. Alternatively, access the administrator dashboard and look at the bottom-right corner for the version number.Affected if The installed version is >= 3.7.0 and < 3.9.16
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Verify com_fields component existsLog into the Joomla! administrator panel and check if the Components > Fields menu item exists and is accessible.Affected if The com_fields component is present in the installation
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Identify SQL fieldtype usage in custom fieldsGo to Content > Fields (or Components > Fields > Fields in newer versions) and review the list of custom fields. Look for any fields where the Type column shows 'SQL'.Affected if Any custom field is configured with the SQL fieldtype
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Check user group permissions for SQL fieldtype accessNavigate to System > Global Configuration > Permissions. Check if non-superadministrator user groups (such as Manager, Administrator, Editor, Author) have permission to create or edit fields that use the SQL fieldtype.Affected if Non-superadmin user groups have permission to use or configure SQL fields in the com_fields component
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Inspect backend user account privilegesIn the administrator panel, go to Users > Manage and examine the user accounts. Identify which users have access to the com_fields component and note their assigned user groups.Affected if Any user without Super Administrator privileges has access to create or modify fields in the com_fields component
The environment is affected if Joomla! version is 3.7.0 through 3.9.15 AND non-superadmin users can access the SQL fieldtype functionality in the com_fields component.
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 data3.9.16
Upgrade Joomla! to version 3.9.16 or later to resolve the access control issue in the com_fields SQL fieldtype component.
Fix this in Joomla\!
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing2.0 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 $1,664.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2020-10239 — 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-2020-10239 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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- 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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