VulnerabilityPublished 16 Feb 2023Updated 22 Oct 2025

CVE-2023-23752: Joomla! CMS · ACL

Affects Joomla! CMSSource CVE Database V5

Exploited in the wild · KEV due 29 Jan 2024 · public exploit available (Metasploit, Exploit-DB) · 99% EPSS : apply the vendor's fix or mitigations to Joomla! CMS now.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 17:16 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

5.3Medium

How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

KEV deadline: 29 Jan 2024 US federal agencies must patch by this date; a sensible deadline for everyone else. Other KEV due dates
EPSS: 99.8% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 99% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.

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

Attack Vector: Network
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: Low
Integrity: None
Availability: None

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Vector: Network: The vulnerable component is bound to the network stack and the set of possible attackers extends beyond the other options listed, up to and including the entire Internet. Such a vulnerability is often termed 'remotely exploitable' and can be thought of as an attack being exploitable at the protocol level one or more network hops away (e.g., across one or more routers).
Attack Complexity: Low: Specialized access conditions or extenuating circumstances do not exist. An attacker can expect repeatable success against the vulnerable component.
Privileges Required: None: The attacker is unauthorized prior to attack, and therefore does not require any access to settings or files to carry out an attack.
User Interaction: None: The vulnerable system can be exploited without any interaction from any user.
Scope: Unchanged: An exploited vulnerability can only affect resources managed by the same security authority. In this case, the vulnerable component and the impacted component are either the same, or both are managed by the same security authority.
Confidentiality: Low: There is some loss of confidentiality. Access to some restricted information is obtained, but the attacker does not have control over what information is obtained, or the amount or kind of loss is limited. The information disclosure does not cause a direct, serious loss to the impacted component.
Integrity: None: There is no loss of integrity within the impacted component.
Availability: None: There is no impact to availability within the impacted component.

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v3.1 specification.

Exploitation evidence

t = 0 is the CVE’s publication on cve.org

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 16 Feb 2023
Detectable: evidence found.
nuclei template: Joomla! Webservice - Password Disclosure
Weaponised: evidence found.
1 Metasploit module · 1 Exploit-DB entry, 51 days after disclosure
Exploited in the wildExploited: evidence found.
Listed in CISA KEV 326 days after disclosure
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

CVE ID reserved
by Joomla! Project
17 Jan 202319:02 UTC, 30 days before disclosure
CVE published
on cve.org
16 Feb 202316:25 UTC, t = 0
First Exploit-DB entry (opens in a new tab)
Joomla! v4.2.8 - Unauthenticated information disclosure
8 Apr 2023, 51 days after disclosure
Added to CISA KEV (opens in a new tab)
exploitation confirmed
8 Jan 2024, 326 days after disclosure
KEV remediation due
US federal deadline
29 Jan 2024, 347 days after disclosure

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), CISA KEV (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponised: Public exploit code exists in Metasploit or Exploit-DB, or CISA SSVC or the CVSS exploit maturity reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

Apply mitigations per vendor instructions or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
Packagistjoomla/joomla-cms`pkg:composer/joomla/joomla-cms`Other threats	Affected =4.0.0 <=4.2.7	Fixed in–

Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.

Description

An issue was discovered in Joomla! 4.0.0 through 4.2.7. An improper access check allows unauthorized access to webservice endpoints.

Impact

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2023-23752 is unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information accessible via Joomla! webservice endpoints. This could include user data, configuration details, or other confidential content managed through the CMS. While the vulnerability does not allow data modification or service disruption, the confidentiality breach could lead to further targeted attacks, reputational damage, or regulatory compliance issues, especially under GDPR. Organizations relying on Joomla! CMS for public-facing websites or internal portals are at risk if they have not updated to patched versions or implemented strict access controls. The ease of remote exploitation without authentication increases the threat level. However, the absence of known exploits in the wild and the medium CVSS score suggest the threat is moderate but should not be ignored. The impact is more significant for entities hosting sensitive or regulated data on Joomla!-powered sites.

Mitigation

1. Upgrade Joomla! CMS to a version later than 4.2.7 once the vendor releases a patch addressing CVE-2023-23752. Monitor Joomla! security advisories for official updates. 2. Until a patch is available, restrict access to Joomla! webservice endpoints via network controls such as firewalls or web application firewalls (WAFs) to trusted IP addresses only. 3. Review and tighten ACL configurations within Joomla! to ensure minimal necessary permissions are granted and that webservice endpoints are not publicly accessible unless required. 4. Implement monitoring and logging of access to webservice endpoints to detect any unauthorized access attempts promptly. 5. Conduct regular security audits and vulnerability scans focusing on Joomla! installations to identify and remediate similar access control issues. 6. Educate administrators on the importance of applying security updates promptly and following best practices for CMS security hardening.

Public tooling indexed from Metasploit Framework, Exploit-DB and ProjectDiscovery nuclei-templates. Its existence raises the odds of exploitation; it does not confirm attacks.

CWE-284Improper Access Control (opens in a new tab)
Pillar weaknessCWE Top 25 (2025): #19OWASP Top 10 A01:2025: Broken Access Control (opens in a new tab)
The product does not restrict or incorrectly restricts access to a resource from an unauthorized actor.
MITRE discourages mapping vulnerabilities to this broad entry; the root cause is usually a more specific weakness.
Architecture and Design · Operation
Very carefully manage the setting, management, and handling of privileges. Explicitly manage trust zones in the software.
Architecture and Design · Separation of Privilege
Compartmentalize the system to have "safe" areas where trust boundaries can be unambiguously drawn. Do not allow sensitive data to go outside of the trust boundary and always be careful when interfacing with a compartment outside of the safe area.
OWASP Cheat Sheets
Docker Security (opens in a new tab)
Third Party Javascript Management (opens in a new tab)
Virtual Patching (opens in a new tab)
Authorization (opens in a new tab)
OWASP ASVS 4.0.3
V1.4.4 (opens in a new tab)
V1.4.5 (opens in a new tab)
V1.10.1 (opens in a new tab)
Attack patterns
Embedding Scripts within Scripts (opens in a new tab)
Modification of Windows Service Configuration (opens in a new tab)
Malicious Root Certificate (opens in a new tab)
Intent Spoof (opens in a new tab)
WebView Exposure (opens in a new tab)
From MITRE CWE, MITRE CAPEC and OWASP (Top 10, OpenCRE).

References

Community reviews

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Exploitation evidence

Timeline

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 28 Oct 2025, 22:09 UTC

Public exploits and detection1 Metasploit module, 1 Exploit-DB entry, a Nuclei detection template

WeaknessesCWE-284

Technical details

References

Community reviews

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