# CVE-2026-78079: JoomShaper Helix Ultimate open redirect via Base64 return parameter

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-78079-joomshaper-helix-ultimate-open-redirect-via-base64-return  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-08-31. Updated: 2026-09-25  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-78079 · Severity: info · Published 2026-08-31

Helix Ultimate is a popular free Joomla template used to build various types of websites. The template contains an open redirect vulnerability in its return/redirect functionality that allows attackers to craft malicious links redirecting users to arbitrary external websites, potentially used in phishing attacks or credential harvesting.

Technologies: [JoomShaper Helix Ultimate](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/helix-ultimate). Vendors: [JoomShaper](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/joomshaper).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-78079 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-78079 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-78079?** Informational severity, published 31 August 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** JoomShaper Helix Ultimate before 2.2.10.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-78079?** No fixed version is recorded yet. Check the vendor's advisory in the references below. If you run it, Junglewise drafts a mitigation that fits your setup and applies it once you approve, with senior security engineers behind it.

**How is CVE-2026-78079 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in a web application.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-78079?** Check whether you run JoomShaper Helix Ultimate at an affected version. 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

The vulnerability is an open redirect flaw in Helix Ultimate versions before 2.2.10, where return redirect parameters accept arbitrary Base64-encoded strings without validating whether the decoded target is an internal site URL. The vulnerable code fails to properly use Uri::isInternal() to verify redirect destinations. An unauthenticated attacker can craft a malicious URL containing a Base64-encoded external domain in the return parameter, which the application will decode and redirect users to without validation. When a user clicks the crafted link, they are silently redirected to the attacker's website. The vulnerability has been patched in version 2.2.10 as of August 2026.

## Affected products

- JoomShaper Helix Ultimate before 2.2.10

## Timeline

- 2026-08-31: disclosed

## References

- [https://www.joomshaper.com/joomla-templates/helixultimate](https://www.joomshaper.com/joomla-templates/helixultimate)

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