Joomla\!Application · Joomla
CVE-2020-13762
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 · uneditedIn Joomla! before 3.9.19, incorrect input validation of the module tag option in com_modules allows XSS.
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 3.9.19 contains an XSS vulnerability in the com_modules component due to incorrect input validation of the module tag option. An authenticated attacker with module management privileges could inject malicious JavaScript through the module tag parameter, which would execute in the context of other users' browsers when they view the modules administration page.
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
>= 3.9.0, < 3.9.19CVSS 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:3.1/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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Check Joomla! versionLocate the Joomla! version by accessing the administrator manifest file (administrator/manifests/files/joomla.xml) or checking the global configuration. Compare the installed version against the affected range: 3.9.0 through 3.9.18.Affected if The installed version is 3.9.0, 3.9.1, 3.9.2, 3.9.3, 3.9.4, 3.9.5, 3.9.6, 3.9.7, 3.9.8, 3.9.9, 3.9.10, 3.9.11, 3.9.12, 3.9.13, 3.9.14, 3.9.15, 3.9.16, 3.9.17, or 3.9.18.
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Verify com_modules component is presentConfirm that the com_modules component directory exists in the Joomla! installation (typically under /components/com_modules/) and is enabled in the component manager.Affected if The com_modules component is installed and enabled on the Joomla! instance running an affected version.
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Identify users with module management privilegesReview the Joomla! user groups and access levels in the administrator panel. Check for users assigned to groups with module management permissions (such as Administrator or Super User groups, or custom groups with module-related privileges).Affected if There are one or more user accounts with module management privileges in the system.
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Confirm access to modules administration pageVerify that the Modules page (index.php?option=com_modules) is accessible to non-Super-User accounts with module management permissions.Affected if Users other than Super Administrators can access the com_modules administration interface.
A Joomla! installation is affected if it runs version 3.9.0 through 3.9.18, has the com_modules component enabled, and contains user accounts with module management privileges who can access the modules administration page.
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 data3.9.19
Upgrade Joomla! to version 3.9.19 or later to receive the input validation fix for the module tag option in com_modules.
Fix this in Joomla\!
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation3.0 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 $2,272.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2020-13762 — 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-2020-13762 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
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data