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Joomla\!Application · Joomla

CVE-2026-35221

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-05-26
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 5.4.6 / 6.1.1 or later.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
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
Improperly built filter clauses lead to a SQL injection vulnerability in the search query for com_finder.

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

A SQL injection vulnerability exists in Joomla's com_finder (Smart Search) component where improperly constructed filter clauses in the search query allow attackers to inject malicious SQL statements. This critical flaw (CVSS 9.8) stems from insufficient input sanitization on search parameters passed to the filter building logic.

MitigationApply the vendor-released security patch for this Joomla vulnerability. Until patched, restrict access to the search functionality through web application firewall rules or disable the com_finder component if possible.

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:>= 3.0.0, < 5.4.6>= 6.0.0, < 6.1.1

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

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/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
    Access the Joomla administrator backend and navigate to System > System Information, or check the libraries/cms.php file in the Joomla installation directory for the version constant
    Affected if The installed version is >= 3.0.0 and < 5.4.6, or >= 6.0.0 and < 6.1.1
  2. Verify com_finder component status
    In the Joomla administrator panel, go to Components > Smart Search and confirm whether the com_finder component is installed and enabled
    Affected if com_finder is installed and enabled on the system
  3. Confirm database type in use
    Check the configuration.php file for the $dbtype setting, or access the hosting control panel database section to verify the database engine (MySQL, MariaDB, or PostgreSQL)
    Affected if The site uses MySQL, MariaDB, or PostgreSQL as the database backend (SQL injection targets these database types)
  4. Review access to com_finder search functionality
    Navigate to the frontend search page (typically /index.php?option=com_finder) and confirm the search component is publicly accessible without authentication
    Affected if The com_finder search is publicly accessible to unauthenticated users, allowing them to submit search queries

A system is affected if it runs a Joomla version within the vulnerable ranges (3.0.0-5.4.5 or 6.0.0-6.1.0) AND has the com_finder component enabled and publicly accessible.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 5.4.6 / 6.1.1 or later
Fixed in 5.4.66.1.1
Interim mitigation

Apply the vendor-released security patch for this Joomla vulnerability. Until patched, restrict access to the search functionality through web application firewall rules or disable the com_finder component if possible.

Recommended fix High confidence

Joomla 5.4.6 or Joomla 6.1.1 (depending on your major version branch)

  1. 1. Create a complete backup of your Joomla site (files and database) before proceeding
  2. 2. Download the appropriate Joomla update package from the official Joomla! Downloads page (https://downloads.joomla.org/)
  3. 3. For Joomla 5.x sites: upgrade to version 5.4.6
  4. 4. For Joomla 6.x sites: upgrade to version 6.1.1
  5. 5. Install the update package through the Joomla Administrator panel via Components > Joomla Update, or by extracting the package over your existing installation
  6. 6. After installation, verify the update was successful by checking the version in System > System Information > Joomla! Version
  7. 7. Clear any site caches and test the com_finder search functionality to confirm the vulnerability is resolved
Caveat Review Joomla 5.4.x and 6.1.x release notes for any breaking changes or deprecated features before upgrading, especially if coming from older minor versions

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Joomla\! Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
15.0 hours of engineering $2,640
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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-2026-35221 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