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Joomla\!Application · Joomla

CVE-2026-35223

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
An improper access check allows unauthorized access to com_config webservice endpoints.

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 · moderate confidence

This is an improper authorization vulnerability where the com_config webservice endpoints lack proper access control validation, allowing unauthenticated or unauthorized users to bypass authentication and access sensitive configuration functionality that should be restricted to privileged users.

MitigationImplement proper authentication and authorization checks on all com_config webservice endpoints to verify user privileges before granting access to configuration data or functions.

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:>= 4.0.0, < 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. Check installed Joomla version
    Locate the version.php file in the Joomla installation (typically in /libraries/src/Version.php or check the administrator/manifests/files_joomla.xml file) and read the version constant, or log into the Joomla Administrator dashboard and check About Joomla in the Help menu.
    Affected if The installed version is >= 4.0.0 and < 5.4.6, OR >= 6.0.0 and < 6.1.1
  2. Verify com_config component is present
    Check that the com_config component directory exists in the Joomla installation under /administrator/components/com_config/ and /components/com_config/
    Affected if The com_config component directories exist in the installation
  3. Test webservice endpoint authentication
    Send an HTTP request to a com_config-related API endpoint (such as /api/index.php/v1/config/application or similar config-related endpoints under /api/) without providing any authentication tokens or credentials, and observe whether the request succeeds and returns data.
    Affected if The endpoint returns configuration data or a successful response without requiring authentication (no 401 or 403 error)
  4. Review API routing configuration
    Examine the com_config services provider file (services/provider.php) and API routing XML files in the com_config component to determine if authentication is defined as required for webservice routes.
    Affected if The API routes for com_config do not specify require('core.authenticate') or similar authentication constraints, or explicitly allow public access

A user is affected if their Joomla installation version falls within the vulnerable ranges AND the com_config webservice endpoints are accessible without authentication.

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

Implement proper authentication and authorization checks on all com_config webservice endpoints to verify user privileges before granting access to configuration data or functions.

Recommended fix High confidence

Joomla! 5.4.6 for 5.x branches; Joomla! 6.1.1 for 6.x branches

  1. 1. Backup your Joomla! website database and files before proceeding with any upgrade.
  2. 2. Review the Joomla! Upgrade Guide at developer.joomla.org for your current major version (5.x or 6.x).
  3. 3. For Joomla! 5.x (versions 5.0.0 through 5.4.5): Upgrade to version 5.4.6.
  4. 4. For Joomla! 6.x (versions 6.0.0 through 6.1.0): Upgrade to version 6.1.1.
  5. 5. After upgrading, verify that the com_config webservice endpoints are now properly protected by access checks.
  6. 6. Test critical functionality of your website to ensure the upgrade did not break existing features.
  7. 7. Review extension compatibility with the new Joomla! version and update any incompatible extensions.
Caveat Major version jumps (e.g., 5.x to 6.x) may introduce breaking changes; review extension and template compatibility before upgrading

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
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
14.0 hours of engineering $2,490
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,984.

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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-2026-35223 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