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CVE-2026-48944

MEDIUMCVSS 6.5/10EPSS 0.29%

Last modified

CVE-2026-48944 is a medium-severity vulnerability rated 6.5/10 on the CVSS scale. The K2 frontend article-save handler accepts an `attachment[N][existing]` POST field that is concatenated with `JPATH_SITE/` and passed to `JFile::copy()`. `JPath::clean` does NOT strip `..`, and there is no allow-list of source paths. EPSS estimates a 0.29% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

The K2 frontend article-save handler accepts an `attachment[N][existing]` POST field that is concatenated with `JPATH_SITE/` and passed to `JFile::copy()`. `JPath::clean` does NOT strip `..`, and there is no allow-list of source paths. An Author can therefore copy `configuration.php` (or any other file readable by the web user — including `../../../etc/passwd`) into `/media/k2/attachments/`, then retrieve the contents via the K2 attachment-download endpoint.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1
6.5/10

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

EPSS Probability
0.29%

21.2th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

Affected Software

VendorProductVersions
JoomlaworksK2<= 2.26

References

Timeline

Published
Last Modified
Status
Analyzed

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-48944?
The K2 frontend article-save handler accepts an `attachment[N][existing]` POST field that is concatenated with `JPATH_SITE/` and passed to `JFile::copy()`. `JPath::clean` does NOT strip `..`, and there is no allow-list of source paths. An Author can therefore copy `configuration.php` (or any other file readable by the web user — including `../../../etc/passwd`) into `/media/k2/attachments/`, then retrieve the contents via the K2 attachment-download endpoint.
How severe is CVE-2026-48944?
CVE-2026-48944 has a CVSS score of 6.5/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.29% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
How do I fix CVE-2026-48944?
Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.

Are you affected by CVE-2026-48944?

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Source: NVD / NIST