CVE-2026-76613 in Pro Extension
Summary
by MITRE • 08/21/2026
Joomla Extension - yootheme.com - Authenticated, privileged SQL injection in YOOtheme Pro 1.0.0-5.0.40 - An SQL injection allowed any contributor-level user to inject own content into SQL queries.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/21/2026
The vulnerability identified as a critical security flaw within the YOOtheme Pro extension for Joomla, affecting versions from 1.0.0 through 5.0.40, represents a significant breach in application logic and input validation mechanisms. This specific issue is classified under Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) ID 89, which denotes Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command, commonly known as SQL Injection. Unlike many high-severity vulnerabilities that require administrative privileges or unauthenticated access to exploit, this flaw allows any user with contributor-level permissions and above to execute arbitrary SQL commands against the underlying database. This lower barrier to entry significantly increases the attack surface, as contributors are often granted by default in collaborative Joomla environments where multiple users manage content creation without full site administration rights.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the insufficient sanitization or parameterization of user-supplied input within specific functions of the YOOtheme Pro extension. When a contributor-level user submits data intended for display or processing, such as text fields, form inputs, or metadata associated with articles and modules, the application fails to properly escape special characters that hold meaning in SQL syntax. Consequently, these unsanitized inputs are directly concatenated into database query strings. An attacker can craft malicious payloads containing SQL statements that alter the logic of the original queries. For instance, by injecting commands such as UNION SELECT or conditional boolean-based injections, an adversary can manipulate the database to return unintended data rows, bypass authentication checks, or modify existing records within the Joomla database structure.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted. Because SQL injection allows for arbitrary read operations, attackers can extract sensitive information stored in the Joomla database, including user credentials, session tokens, configuration settings containing API keys or SMTP passwords, and potentially private content not intended for public consumption. Beyond data exfiltration, the ability to inject own content into SQL queries implies that an attacker could also perform write operations if the underlying database permissions allow it. This could lead to defacement of websites by altering article content, creation of new administrative user accounts to escalate privileges further, or even complete compromise of the server if the database service runs with high-level system privileges and allows for command execution via functions like xp_cmdshell in Microsoft SQL Server or similar capabilities in other DBMS platforms.
From a threat intelligence perspective, this vulnerability aligns with MITRE ATT&CK techniques related to Data from Information Repositories (T1005) and potentially Command and Control if used as part of a broader exploitation chain. The fact that it requires only contributor-level access means that social engineering attacks targeting lower-tier users are particularly effective vectors for initial compromise. Once inside, the attacker can leverage this SQL injection to pivot further into the network or escalate privileges by extracting password hashes from the jos_users table and attempting offline cracking, thereby gaining full administrative control over the Joomla instance.
Mitigation strategies must be implemented immediately to address this risk. The primary remediation is to upgrade YOOtheme Pro to a version newer than 5.0.40 where the vendor has presumably patched these input validation flaws by implementing prepared statements or robust parameterized queries for all database interactions involving user-supplied data. For organizations unable to update immediately due to compatibility constraints, temporary mitigations include restricting contributor-level access to trusted individuals only and applying web application firewall rules that detect common SQL injection patterns in POST requests directed at YOOtheme endpoints. Additionally, enforcing strict principle of least privilege on the database account used by Joomla can limit the damage an attacker can cause even if they successfully exploit the injection point, ensuring the database user does not have permissions to perform administrative actions or file system operations. Regular security audits and code reviews focusing on data handling practices are essential to prevent similar weaknesses in future development cycles.