Summary
An 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.
This vulnerability only affects installations configured to use the MySQL volume driver. Installations using the default LocalFileSystem driver are not affected.
Description
A vulnerability in elFinder's MySQL volume driver (elFinderVolumeMySQL) allows authenticated SQL injection through a crafted file hash passed via the target parameter.
The issue is caused by two behaviors working together:
- File hashes are decoded without validating that the decoded value is a valid MySQL object identifier.
- The decoded value is then used in MySQL driver queries, including
cacheDir(),_joinPath(),_stat(), and_fopen().
Because 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.
This vulnerability only affects installations configured to use the MySQL volume driver. Installations using the default LocalFileSystem driver are not affected.
Impact
An authenticated user, including a user with read-only access to the affected volume, can exploit this issue to:
- disclose data accessible to the configured MySQL account, including file contents stored by the driver and database metadata
- trigger denial of service through expensive or unexpectedly broad query results that can lead to excessive memory consumption
The severity of data exposure depends on the privileges granted to the configured MySQL account.
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-2026-44521 has a CVSS score of 8.8 (High). The vector is network-reachable, 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. A fixed version is available (2.1.68); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.
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
Kodem Kai can prioritize this vulnerability in your dependency tree and generate a fix recommendation.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2026-44521? CVE-2026-44521 is a high-severity SQL injection vulnerability in studio-42/elfinder (composer), affecting versions <= 2.1.67. It is fixed in 2.1.68. Untrusted input alters a database query, allowing the attacker to read or modify data the query was not intended to access.
- How severe is CVE-2026-44521? CVE-2026-44521 has a CVSS score of 8.8 (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 studio-42/elfinder are affected by CVE-2026-44521? studio-42/elfinder (composer) versions <= 2.1.67 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2026-44521? Yes. CVE-2026-44521 is fixed in 2.1.68. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2026-44521 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-44521 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-2026-44521 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-2026-44521? Upgrade
studio-42/elfinderto 2.1.68 or later.