Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessAuthenticate to Joomla backend as low-privileged user
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ExploitCraft workflow-stage-change request for inaccessible content
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ExecutionServer skips ACL check
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ImpactWorkflow stage of restricted content is modified
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A01:2025 - Broken Access Control
ASVS 5.0
V8 - Authorization Access control enforcement
MITRE ATT&CK
1 technique across 1 tactic: Defense Evasion The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up. |
| Exploitation Conditions | Requires an authenticated Joomla backend account (CVSS PR:H) on an affected install running Joomla CMS 5.0.0-5.4.8 or 6.0.0-6.1.3; the attacker uses the workflow feature to issue a stage-change request against content their assigned ACL should block. Limiting factors: valid backend credentials are mandatory (no unauthenticated path), impact is confined to integrity of the workflow stage (VC:L/VI:L, no availability effect), and the target site must use Joomla's content workflow functionality for the flaw to have practical consequence. |
| Impact | This is a genuine but low-priority authorization flaw, not a high-severity emergency. The vendor CVSS 4.0 base score is 5.1 (medium), and every signal points the same way: PR:H means the attacker must already hold an authenticated backend Joomla account, VC:L/VI:L cap the technical impact at low confidentiality and low integrity, and VA:N means no availability impact. There is no EPSS score, no CISA KEV listing, and no public proof-of-concept in the provided data - so exploitation status is 'no public exploit identified at time of analysis.' AV:N/AC:L/AT:N reflect that once authenticated, the request is trivial to send, but the PR:H authentication gate is the dominant limiting factor. The one point worth verifying: the input tag 'Authentication Bypass' conflicts with the actual CWE-284 (improper access control) and the PR:H vector - this is a post-authentication authorization/ACL flaw, not an authentication bypass, so it does not let an unauthenticated attacker in. Net: real but modest, appropriate for routine patching rather than emergency response. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An authenticated Joomla backend user (e.g. a low-trust content contributor) who lacks permission to view or edit certain articles crafts a workflow-stage-change request targeting those inaccessible items. Because the ACL check is missing, Joomla applies the stage transition, letting the user advance or revert the publishing/workflow state of content they should not control. No public exploit code is identified at time of analysis, and the attack requires an existing backend account. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Sep 29, 2026
Improper access-control enforcement in the Joomla CMS workflow feature allows an authenticated backend user to change the workflow stage of content that their assigned ACL should prevent them from touching, in Joomla 5.0.0-5.4.8 and 6.0.0-6.1.3. The CVSS 4.0 vector (5.1, AV:N/AC:L/PR:H) requires a valid backend account, and the impact is limited to the integrity of the workflow stage value (VC:L/VI:L, no availability effect), so this is a genuine but low-priority authorization flaw rather than an emergency. Confirmed actively exploited? No - no CISA KEV listing, and no public exploit code identified at time of analysis; the effect is only meaningful on sites that actually use Joomla's content workflow functionality.
RemediationAI
Patch available per vendor advisory: the fix is delivered through the Joomla Security Centre entry 1090-20260910 (https://developer.joomla.org/security-centre/1090-20260910-core-improper-acl-checks-for-workflow-stage-changes.html), which directs administrators on the 5.x branch past 5.4.8 and the 6.x branch past 6.1.3 to update to the current maintenance release - consult that page for the exact fixed package for your branch, since no explicit fix version is stated in the data available here. Apply the update with the standard Joomla upgrade procedure and verify the site's schema and extensions remain compatible afterwards. If an immediate upgrade is not possible, compensate by tightening the workflow surface rather than relying on generic hardening: remove or downgrade workflow-related permissions (for example, core.edit.state and workflow transition permissions) from any role that is not explicitly trusted, and disable the content workflow feature or unpublish workflow-enabled content categories so stage-change requests have nothing to act on - the trade-off is that legitimate editorial publishing and staging stops working until the patch is applied. Because the flaw is confined to integrity of the workflow stage value and demands valid credentials, treat it as a low-priority scheduled fix, but review the site's ACL assignments and any workflow stage-change history for unexpected modifications made by low-trust accounts as a precaution.
Affected VersionsENISA
Affected Packages
Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)
Affects your stack
Affects 1 package in euvd
Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.
Technical ContextAI · show details
Joomla's content workflow subsystem, introduced in the 4.x line and used to move articles through defined stages via transitions, is where this CWE-284 (Improper Access Control) defect lives. The component processes a stage-change request for a given article but fails to properly verify that the requesting user's ACL assignments authorize an update to that specific item's workflow state, so a user holding workflow privileges in one scope can push a stage change onto content outside that scope. The exposed CPE string (cpe:2.3:a:joomla!_project:joomla!_cms:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*) carries a wildcard version, so the authoritative affected ranges come from the vendor description: 5.0.0 through 5.4.8 and 6.0.0 through 6.1.3. Because the root cause is a missing or insufficient authorization check on an existing, feature-gated endpoint rather than a memory-safety or injection flaw, exploitation does not give code execution or data disclosure - it gives unauthorized state modification of the workflow stage field.
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Severity by source
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:H/UI:N/VC:L/VI:L/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
Remote authenticated backend user with any low-privilege account can bypass the ACL, so PR:L/AC:L; impact limited to low confidentiality and integrity of workflow state, no availability effect.
Primary rating from Vendor (Joomla).
CVSS VectorVendor: Joomla
DescriptionCVE.org
Joomla! Core - [20260910] - Core - Improper ACL checks for workflow stage changes in Joomla 5.0.0-5.4.8, 6.0.0-6.1.3 - An improper access check allows unauthorized users to update the workflow stage of inaccessible contents.
Threat Intelligence Overview
How this decision was reached
The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.
What every action level means
SSVC AssessmentENISA
Priority Score
Attack Technique
Authentication bypass attacks exploit flaws in the verification mechanisms that control access to systems and applications.
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EUVD-2026-89077
GHSA-2jjg-qv9h-979q
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
Exploit-DB