# CVE-2026-48905: Joomla! CMS XSS in cleanAttributes filter code

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-48905-joomla-cms-xss-in-cleanattributes-filter-code  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-05-26. Updated: 2026-05-26  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-48905 · Severity: info · CVSS 6.9 · Published 2026-05-26

Joomla! CMS, a popular platform for building and managing websites, contains a security flaw in its content filtering system. This vulnerability could allow an attacker with high-level administrative privileges to inject malicious scripts into web pages. If successful, this could lead to unauthorized actions being performed in the context of other users' sessions or the theft of sensitive information.

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-48905 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-48905 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-48905?** Informational severity, with a CVSS score of 6.9, published 26 May 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** Joomla! Project Joomla! CMS 3.0.0-5.4.5, 6.0.0-6.1.0.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-48905?** A patch was published on 2026-05-26: Fixed in versions 5.4.6 and 6.1.1 Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**How is CVE-2026-48905 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in a web application.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-48905?** Check whether anything you run is named in the advisory. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## Technical details

A cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability exists in the Joomla! Framework and CMS within the 'cleanAttributes' filter code. The root cause is a lack of sufficient input filtering, which fails to properly neutralize malicious payloads before they are rendered in HTML. An attacker with high privileges (PR:H) can exploit this over the network, though it requires some level of user interaction (UI:P). Successful exploitation allows for the execution of arbitrary JavaScript in the victim's browser. The issue is addressed in Joomla! CMS versions 5.4.6 and 6.1.1.

## Affected products

- Joomla! Project Joomla! CMS 3.0.0-5.4.5, 6.0.0-6.1.0

## Timeline

- 2026-05-04: disclosed: Reported to the Joomla! Security Centre
- 2026-05-26: patched: Fixed in versions 5.4.6 and 6.1.1
- 2026-05-26: advisory

## References

- [https://developer.joomla.org/security-centre/1052-20260520-framework-inadequate-content-filtering-within-the-cleanattributes-filter-code.html](https://developer.joomla.org/security-centre/1052-20260520-framework-inadequate-content-filtering-within-the-cleanattributes-filter-code.html)