Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
-
AccessSend crafted showImage request
-
ExploitBypass prefix-only containment check
-
ExecutionRead image from sibling directory
-
ImpactDisclose out-of-root image file
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A01:2025 - Broken Access Control
ASVS 5.0
V5 - File Handling Path canonicalization, traversal prevention
MITRE ATT&CK
2 techniques across 2 tactics: Discovery, Collection The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up. |
| Exploitation Conditions | Exploitation requires that a directory sharing the configured images-root name prefix (e.g. an 'images-backup' sibling of the default 'images' root) already exists on the server AND already contains a file with a Gridbox-permitted image extension; only such image-type files can be read, so this is not arbitrary file disclosure. Key limiting factors: the prefix-only containment bypass only yields files inside an existing prefix-matching sibling directory (none was found on the tested site), the read is restricted to Gridbox image extensions, and direct file streaming only occurs when image decoding is unavailable or fails. No authentication or user interaction is required (PR:N/UI:N), but the AT:P / environmental dependency means default installations without such a sibling directory are not exploitable. |
| Impact | Signals are consistently LOW-to-moderate and mutually reinforcing rather than conflicting. The CVSS 4.0 vector (AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N, VC:L only) scores 6.3 Medium, but the AT:P flag is doing important work: successful exploitation depends on a specific environmental precondition (a prefix-matching sibling directory containing a readable image). CISA SSVC independently corroborates the low urgency - Exploitation: none, Automatable: no, Technical Impact: partial - which aligns with the researcher's own decision to rate the finding Low rather than as arbitrary file disclosure. No EPSS score was provided and the CVE is NOT in CISA KEV; no public exploit is referenced. The read primitive is materially constrained to Gridbox image file extensions, so this is not a general file-disclosure bug. Net: this is a genuine but narrow path-traversal weakness, not a high-priority emergency. One caveat to verify with the vendor: the description notes the effective site 'images' root setting was not independently confirmed, and that no prefix-matching sibling directory was actually found alongside the tested site's images directory - meaning real-world exploitability is conditional and may not apply to many deployments. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | A remote unauthenticated attacker crafts a showImage request with a traversal path pointing at a sibling directory that shares the images-root prefix (for example images-backup). Because the containment check is prefix-only, the path passes validation, and if image decoding fails the action streams the targeted file directly back to the attacker, disclosing an image stored outside the configured media root. No public exploit code is referenced, and the attack only works where such a prefix-matching sibling directory with a Gridbox-type image already exists. |
Get an e-mail when this CVE is exploited, patched or re-scored. Free account.
Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Oct 08, 2026
Path traversal in the Gridbox extension for Joomla (versions before 2.20.4.0) allows unauthenticated remote attackers to read image files outside the configured images root when a sibling directory sharing the root's name prefix exists. The flaw resides in the site UploaderHelper's prefix-only containment check used by the showImage action; a request-controlled path can resolve to a sibling directory such as 'images-backup' if that directory exists and contains a file with a Gridbox-permitted image extension. Exploitation is limited to image-type files and requires the presence of such a prefix-matching sibling directory; no public exploit code has been identified and CISA SSVC reports no exploitation activity, with independent assessment rating the risk Low.
RemediationAI
Upgrade to Gridbox 2.20.4.0 or later - the vendor-released patch that fixes the prefix-only containment logic. If immediate upgrade is not possible, administrators should remove or rename any sibling directory whose name shares a prefix with the configured images root (e.g., delete or relocate 'images-backup'); this eliminates the specific condition required for exploitation. Note that this is a workaround, not a complete fix, and other prefix-matching directories could exist. Additionally, ensure that image decoding functions are available and operational so that the fallback direct-streaming path is not taken, though this is not a substitute for patching. Consult the vendor advisory at https://www.balbooa.com/gridbox for further details.
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
The vulnerability is a CWE-22 path traversal caused by inadequate path containment logic (prefix-only matching) rather than canonicalization. In the Gridbox extension for Joomla, the site UploaderHelper resolves a request-controlled path and then verifies containment by checking whether the resolved path begins with the configured images root string. Because the check is purely prefix-based, a directory like 'images-backup' (a sibling of the default 'images' root) satisfies the test even though it lies outside the intended root. The showImage action calls this helper and returns the image; if image decoding is unavailable or fails, the action streams the file directly, bypassing any decoding-based restrictions. The route restricts the file extension to Gridbox image types, which materially limits the read primitive. The CPE cpe:2.3:a:balbooa.com:gridbox_extension_for_joomla:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* identifies the affected product. The CVSS 4.0 vector includes AT:P (Attack Requirements: Present) and the independent CVSS 3.1 vector has AC:H, reflecting the environmental dependency on an existing prefix-matching sibling directory containing a permitted image file.
Know when Gridbox Extension For Joomla gets its next vulnerability
- Watch products and get an email when something new is published
- Check this CVE against your own stack and servers
- Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources
No credit card · 7-day full trial
Severity by source
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:L/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
Remote unauthenticated reach (AV:N/PR:N) but exploitation needs a pre-existing prefix-matching sibling directory with an image file, so AC:H; read limited to image files gives C:L, no I/A impact.
Primary rating from Vendor (Joomla).
CVSS VectorVendor: Joomla
DescriptionCVE.org
Joomla Extension - balbooa.com - Path Traversal in image preview Gridbox < 2.20.4.0 - Gridbox contains the same prefix-only containment logic in its site UploaderHelper . The showImage action resolves a request-controlled path, calls that helper, and then returns the image. If image decoding is unavailable or fails, the action streams the file directly. An existing image in a sibling directory such as images-backup can therefore satisfy the current containment test even though it is outside the configured images root. The route restricts the file extension to Gridbox image types, which materially limits the read primitive. The default media root is images ; the effective site setting was not independently verified. No prefix-matching sibling directory was found alongside the site’s images directory. The finding is rated Low rather than presented as arbitrary file disclosure.
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
Path traversal exploits occur when applications use user-controlled input to construct file system paths without proper validation.
More in Gridbox Extension For Joomla
View allAuthentication bypass in the Gridbox page-builder extension for Joomla (versions before 2.20.2) lets remote unauthentica
Unauthenticated account takeover in the Gridbox page-builder extension for Joomla (versions before 2.20.2) allows any re
Privilege escalation in the balbooa Gridbox extension for Joomla (versions before 2.20.2) lets unauthenticated actors se
Arbitrary file upload in the Balbooa Gridbox page-builder extension for Joomla (versions before 2.20.2) lets an authenti
Arbitrary file read in the Balbooa Gridbox page-builder extension for Joomla (all versions before 2.20.2) lets remote un
Arbitrary recursive directory deletion in the Gridbox extension for Joomla (versions before 2.20.2) lets remote unauthen
Unauthenticated SQL injection in Balbooa's Gridbox extension for Joomla (versions before 2.20.2) lets remote attackers i
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) in the Gridbox extension for Joomla before 2.20.4.0 allows unauthenticated attackers t
Cross-site request forgery in balbooa Gridbox, a page-builder extension for Joomla, allows attackers to forge state-chan
Stored cross-site scripting in the Gridbox Joomla extension by balbooa.com allows attackers to inject persistent malicio
Payment bypass in Gridbox (Joomla extension by balbooa.com) versions 1.0.0 through 2.20.1 allows unauthenticated remote
Unauthenticated file system disclosure in balbooa.com's Gridbox extension for Joomla (versions 1.0.0 through 2.20.1) exp
EUVD-2026-94934
GHSA-89x5-vmf9-w5cx
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
Exploit-DB