CVE-2026-101111 in Book Library Extension
Summary
by MITRE • 09/28/2026
Joomla Extension - ordasoft.com - Reflected Cross-Site Scripting in Book Library (Free) < 6.4.6 - The public book-detail page template, site/views/view_book/tmpl/default.php, echoes the raw title request parameter directly into a double-quoted HTML attribute with no escaping function of any kind (echo $_REQUEST["title"];). A value containing a double quote closes the attribute early and allows arbitrary HTML/JavaScript to follow.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/28/2026
The vulnerability identified in Joomla Book Library versions prior to 6.4.6 represents a classic instance of Reflected Cross-Site Scripting, technically classified under CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation. This flaw resides within the public-facing book-detail page template located at site/views/view_book/tmpl/default.php. The root cause is traced to an insecure coding practice where the application directly echoes user-supplied input from the request parameters without any form of sanitization or encoding. Specifically, the code executes echo $_REQUEST["title"], injecting the raw value of the title parameter into a double-quoted HTML attribute context. This lack of neutralization allows attackers to manipulate the structure of the rendered web page by exploiting how browsers parse malformed HTML attributes.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability enables remote unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary JavaScript code in the context of the victim's browser. By supplying a crafted payload that includes a closing double quote followed by malicious script tags or event handlers, an attacker can break out of the intended attribute scope and inject executable content into the DOM. This capability is particularly dangerous because it does not require user authentication, making it accessible to any internet user who discovers the vulnerable endpoint. The impact extends beyond simple defacement; attackers can leverage this vector for session hijacking by stealing cookies or authentication tokens, credential harvesting through fake login forms injected into the page, or redirecting users to malicious phishing sites designed to compromise their systems further.
The technical mechanism relies on the browser's lenient parsing of HTML attributes enclosed in double quotes. When the application outputs a value such as "malicious_value" followed by ">", the closing quote terminates the attribute prematurely. Any subsequent content is interpreted as new HTML elements rather than part of the original string. This structural break allows for the injection of script blocks, image tags with onerror handlers, or other executable vectors that trigger upon page load or user interaction. The use of $_REQUEST instead of more specific superglobals like $_GET or $_POST further exacerbates the risk by accepting input from multiple sources including query strings, POST data, and cookies, thereby increasing the attack surface available to potential exploiters.
In terms of industry alignment, this vulnerability maps directly to MITRE ATT&CK technique T1059: Command and Scripting Interpreter, specifically within the context of web-based attacks where JavaScript serves as the execution mechanism for subsequent malicious activities such as data exfiltration or lateral movement in compromised environments. The failure to implement proper output encoding is a fundamental deviation from secure coding standards outlined in OWASP guidelines, which mandate that all dynamic content inserted into HTML contexts must be encoded according to the specific context (HTML entity encoding for text nodes and attribute values) to prevent injection attacks.
Mitigation strategies require immediate remediation of the source code within the affected extension. Developers must replace the direct echo statement with a function that applies appropriate output encoding, such as htmlspecialchars() in PHP, ensuring that special characters like double quotes are converted into their corresponding HTML entities before being rendered. Additionally, implementing Content Security Policy headers can provide an additional layer of defense by restricting the sources from which scripts can be loaded and executed, thereby mitigating the impact even if a reflection vulnerability persists. Upgrading to version 6.4.6 or later is strongly recommended as these versions likely contain patches addressing this input validation deficiency. Until updates are applied, administrators should consider disabling public access to the book-detail page template or implementing web application firewall rules that detect and block payloads containing common XSS indicators such as script tags or event handler attributes in URL parameters.