CVE-2026-48946: CWE-434 Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type in getk2.com K2 extension for Joomla
The K2 frontend article-attachment upload path accepts files whose extension is `.php`, and Apache's standard mod_php matches `\.php$` and executes them under the K2 web user. A K2 Author can upload a `shell.php`, then fetch `/media/k2/attachments/shell.php` and execute arbitrary PHP code in the web server's context.
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
CVE-2026-48946 describes a vulnerability in the K2 extension for Joomla (versions 1.0 through 2.26) where the article-attachment upload functionality does not restrict dangerous file types such as .php. Because Apache's mod_php executes files matching the .php extension, an attacker with K2 Author privileges can upload a PHP shell and execute arbitrary code in the context of the web server user.
Potential Impact
Successful exploitation allows an attacker with K2 Author privileges to execute arbitrary PHP code on the web server, potentially leading to full compromise of the web application and underlying server environment.
Mitigation Recommendations
Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the vendor advisory for current remediation guidance. Until an official fix is available, restrict upload permissions to trusted users only and consider disabling the attachment upload feature or filtering uploads to disallow .php files.
CVE-2026-48946: CWE-434 Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type in getk2.com K2 extension for Joomla
Description
The K2 frontend article-attachment upload path accepts files whose extension is `.php`, and Apache's standard mod_php matches `\.php$` and executes them under the K2 web user. A K2 Author can upload a `shell.php`, then fetch `/media/k2/attachments/shell.php` and execute arbitrary PHP code in the web server's context.
CVSS v3.1
Score 6.3medium
Affected software
Weaknesses
AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
CVE-2026-48946 describes a vulnerability in the K2 extension for Joomla (versions 1.0 through 2.26) where the article-attachment upload functionality does not restrict dangerous file types such as .php. Because Apache's mod_php executes files matching the .php extension, an attacker with K2 Author privileges can upload a PHP shell and execute arbitrary code in the context of the web server user.
Potential Impact
Successful exploitation allows an attacker with K2 Author privileges to execute arbitrary PHP code on the web server, potentially leading to full compromise of the web application and underlying server environment.
Mitigation Recommendations
Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the vendor advisory for current remediation guidance. Until an official fix is available, restrict upload permissions to trusted users only and consider disabling the attachment upload feature or filtering uploads to disallow .php files.
Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.2
- Assigner Short Name
- Joomla
- Date Reserved
- 2026-05-26T16:47:13.550Z
- Cvss Version
- null
- State
- PUBLISHED
- Remediation Level
- null
Threat ID: 6a3d4d4b4853345fc124a309
Added to database: 06/25/2026, 15:46:19 UTC
Last enriched: 06/25/2026, 16:01:48 UTC
Last updated: 06/26/2026, 01:20:02 UTC
Views: 9
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