CVE-2011-2509 Joomla! vulnerable to Cross-site Scripting
Remote attackers can inject arbitrary web script or HTML into Joomla! via various query string parameters, requiring user interaction to execute.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Not needed
- Attackable
- Over the internet
- Victim action needed
- A user has to click or open something
- Fix
- Available
What is CVE-2011-2509?
CVE-2011-2509 is a medium-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in Joomla Joomla\!, published on 27 Jul 2011. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Official description
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in Joomla! before 1.6.4 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via (1) the query string to the com_contact component, as demonstrated by the Itemid parameter to index.php; (2) the query string to the com_content component, as demonstrated by the filter_order parameter to index.php; (3) the query string to the com_newsfeeds component, as demonstrated by an arbitrary parameter to index.php; or (4) the option parameter in a reset.request action to index.php; and, when Internet Explorer or Konqueror is used, (5) allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the searchword parameter in a search action to index.php in the com_search component.
Weakness: CWE-79
Which versions are affected by CVE-2011-2509?
2 open source packages ship an affected version, including joomla/joomla-cms. It affects 1 product.
| Package | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
joomla/joomla-cms Packagist | All versions | 1.6.4 |
joomla/joomla-cms Packagist | All versions | 1.6.4 |
Products include Joomla Joomla\!.
How do I fix CVE-2011-2509?
Upgrade joomla/joomla-cms to 1.6.4 or later.
Escape output for the context it lands in and set a strict Content Security Policy. Upgrading the affected component is the real fix. More about Cross-site scripting.
Is CVE-2011-2509 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2011-2509 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Other vulnerabilities in Joomla Joomla\!
- CVE-2016-10033 PHPMailer Command Injection
- CVE-2023-23752 Joomla! Improper Access Control
- CVE-2026-48902 Joomla! Core - [20260518] - Transport encryption downgrade for password and username reset links
- CVE-2025-25226 [20250401] - Joomla Framework - SQL injection vulnerability in quoteNameStr method of Database package
- CVE-2022-23795 [20220303] - Core - User row are not bound to a authentication mechanism
Sources
Also known as GHSA-vcq7-x4wr-w2mj.