CVE-2026-101108 in Vehicle Manager Extension
Summary
by MITRE • 09/28/2026
Joomla Extension - ordasoft.com - Unauthenticated SQL Injection in Vehicle Manager (Free) < 6.5.8 - site/vehiclemanager.php reads the order_field and order_direction sort parameters at three separate anonymous-reachable frontend entry points (category listing, search, and the all-vehicles listing) through a sanitizing function that applies real escaping, but the value is then placed into an unquoted ORDER BY clause, where escaping has no protective effect.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/28/2026
The vulnerability identified in Joomla Vehicle Manager versions prior to 6.5.8 represents a critical security flaw rooted in improper handling of database query construction within the application's frontend interface. Specifically, the issue resides in the site/vehiclemanager.php component where user-supplied input is processed through parameters intended for sorting vehicle listings. The affected entry points include category listing pages, search functionality results, and the comprehensive all-vehicles listing view. These endpoints are accessible to unauthenticated users without requiring any form of login or privilege escalation, thereby expanding the attack surface significantly compared to backend-only vulnerabilities.
The technical mechanism behind this vulnerability involves a deceptive layer of input sanitization that fails to address the specific context in which the data is utilized. The application employs a function designed to apply real escaping to the order_field and order_direction parameters received from HTTP requests. This process typically neutralizes threats such as SQL injection when values are inserted into string literals within WHERE clauses or other contexts where quotes define boundaries for data interpretation. However, these sanitized values are subsequently injected directly into an unquoted ORDER BY clause of a MySQL query. In Structured Query Language syntax, the ORDER BY clause dictates how result sets are sorted and does not expect quoted strings in the same manner as value assignments. Consequently, standard escaping characters like single quotes do not function as protective barriers because they are interpreted literally by the database engine rather than being treated as string delimiters.
This architectural oversight allows an attacker to inject arbitrary SQL commands directly into the sorting logic of the query. By manipulating the order_field parameter, a malicious actor can terminate the intended column specification and append additional SQL statements. This capability enables several severe forms of exploitation including data exfiltration through error-based or blind techniques, authentication bypass if used in conjunction with other flaws, and potentially remote code execution depending on the database configuration and available extensions like MySQL UDFs. The lack of input validation that restricts allowed values to a predefined whitelist of legitimate column names further exacerbates the risk, as there is no mechanism to prevent the injection of malicious syntax even after escaping has been applied.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses a significant threat to data integrity and confidentiality for any deployment using vulnerable versions of Vehicle Manager. Attackers can extract sensitive information stored in the Joomla database such as user credentials, personal identifiable information associated with vehicle owners, or administrative configuration details. The unauthenticated nature of the exploit means that automated scanning tools can easily discover and leverage this weakness across large numbers of installations without needing to identify valid user accounts first. This leads to a high probability of successful compromise for sites running outdated software versions, particularly those exposed directly to the internet with minimal additional security layers such as Web Application Firewalls configured specifically to detect SQL injection patterns in sort parameters.
Mitigation strategies must prioritize immediate patching and input validation hardening. The most effective remediation is upgrading Joomla Vehicle Manager to version 6.5.8 or later where this specific logic error has been addressed by the developers. In cases where updating is not immediately feasible, administrators should implement strict allowlisting for the order_field parameter at the application level rather than relying solely on escaping functions. This involves defining a fixed array of acceptable column names and rejecting any input that does not match these predefined values before it reaches the database query builder. Additionally, deploying a Web Application Firewall with rulesets tuned to detect SQL injection attempts in ORDER BY clauses can provide an additional layer of defense against exploitation while permanent fixes are being implemented.
This vulnerability aligns closely with Common Weakness Enumeration identifier CWE-89 which classifies Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command, commonly known as SQL Injection. The specific context here highlights the importance of understanding how different parts of a SQL statement interpret input data differently. It also relates to ATT&CK technique T1059 which covers Command and Scripting Interpreter usage, although more specifically it falls under database interaction patterns often exploited in reconnaissance or credential dumping phases of an attack lifecycle. Security practitioners should treat this as a high-severity issue requiring immediate attention due to its ease of exploitation and the sensitivity of data typically managed by vehicle management systems.