CVE-2026-38739

NB: All tags and branches in this repository are past their end of life, so the vulnerability will not be fixed. The advisory is posted on the request of the researcher, for the information of anyone who might still use this software.

Credit

The issue was found and reported by security auditor Timothé Ridel from Advens:
https://www.advens.com/

Workarounds

None.

Resources

• Report by Advens: https://github.com/Goaterino/ezpublish-legacy-lab/blob/main/SQL%20injection%20and%20arbitrary%20file%20deletion%20in%20dfscleanup.md

There is a security vulnerability in eZ Publish Legacy, affecting the dfscleanup.php script and the _getFileList function of the eZDFSFileHandlerMySQLiBackend class (kernel/private/classes/clusterfilehandlers/dfsbackends/mysqli.php). The vulnerability allows an attacker with local shell access and sufficient privileges to run dfscleanup.php to perform a union-based SQL injection against the eZ Publish MySQL database, potentially exposing sensitive data such as user credentials.

It is known to affect the branch 2019.03, and it may well affect other branches.

Untrusted input alters a database query, allowing the attacker to read or modify data the query was not intended to access. Typical impact: data disclosure or modification.

CVE-2026-38739 has a CVSS score of 7.1 (High). The vector is requires local access, low 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.

Kodem intelligence

None, the software is past its end of life.

1. What is CVE-2026-38739? CVE-2026-38739 is a high-severity SQL injection vulnerability in ezsystems/ezpublish-legacy (composer), affecting versions = 2019.03. No fixed version is listed yet. Untrusted input alters a database query, allowing the attacker to read or modify data the query was not intended to access.
2. How severe is CVE-2026-38739? CVE-2026-38739 has a CVSS score of 7.1 (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.
3. Which versions of ezsystems/ezpublish-legacy are affected by CVE-2026-38739? ezsystems/ezpublish-legacy (composer) versions = 2019.03 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2026-38739? No fixed version is listed for CVE-2026-38739 yet. Monitor the advisory for updates and apply mitigations in the interim.
5. Is CVE-2026-38739 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-38739 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
6. What actually determines whether CVE-2026-38739 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.
7. How do I fix CVE-2026-38739? No fixed version is listed yet. In the interim: Use parameterized queries or prepared statements so user input is always treated as data, never as SQL syntax.