CVE-2026-44521: Studio 42/elfinder SQL Injection Vulnerability

{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-c3gj-q88f-7hqj",
  "modified" : "2026-06-08T23:49:07Z",
  "published" : "2026-05-11T16:11:31Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-44521" ],
  "summary" : "elFinder MySQL has a SQL Injection in its Volume Driver (elFinderVolumeMySQL)",
  "details" : "## Summary\n\nAn authenticated SQL injection vulnerability in the elFinder MySQL volume driver (`elFinderVolumeMySQL`) allows any logged-in user, including users with read-only access to the affected volume, to inject SQL through a crafted `target` file hash. Successful exploitation can lead to unauthorized data disclosure and denial of service.\n\nThis vulnerability only affects installations configured to use the `MySQL` volume driver. Installations using the default `LocalFileSystem` driver are not affected.\n\n## Description\n\nA vulnerability in elFinder's MySQL volume driver (`elFinderVolumeMySQL`) allows authenticated SQL injection through a crafted file hash passed via the `target` parameter.\n\nThe issue is caused by two behaviors working together:\n1. File hashes are decoded without validating that the decoded value is a valid MySQL object identifier.\n2. The decoded value is then used in MySQL driver queries, including `cacheDir()`, `_joinPath()`, `_stat()`, and `_fopen()`.\n\nBecause the MySQL storage schema uses numeric `id` and `parent_id` values, an authenticated user can supply a crafted hash that alters the intended SQL query logic. Successful exploitation can lead to unauthorized data disclosure and denial of service. The extent of impact depends on the privileges granted to the configured MySQL account.\n\nThis vulnerability only affects installations configured to use the `MySQL` volume driver. Installations using the default `LocalFileSystem` driver are not affected.\n\n## Impact\n\nAn authenticated user, including a user with read-only access to the affected volume, can exploit this issue to:\n- disclose data accessible to the configured MySQL account, including file contents stored by the driver and database metadata\n- trigger denial of service through expensive or unexpectedly broad query results that can lead to excessive memory consumption\n\nThe severity of data exposure depends on the privileges granted to the configured MySQL account.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Packagist",
      "name" : "studio-42/elfinder"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.1.68"
      } ]
    } ],
    "database_specific" : {
      "last_known_affected_version_range" : "<= 2.1.67"
    }
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/Studio-42/elFinder/security/advisories/GHSA-c3gj-q88f-7hqj"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-44521"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/Studio-42/elFinder"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-89" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-05-11T16:11:31Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-05-27T18:16:23Z"
  }
}