CVE-2017-20264: Joomla Sponsor Wall SQLi Vulnerability

CVE-2017-20264 Overview

CVE-2017-20264 is an SQL injection vulnerability in the Joomla! Sponsor Wall component version 8.0, distributed by Pulse Extensions. The flaw resides in the wallid parameter of the com_sponsorwall extension. Unauthenticated attackers can inject arbitrary SQL through GET requests sent to index.php using the option=com_sponsorwall&task=click&wallid= query string. Successful exploitation allows extraction of database contents, including administrator credentials and Joomla! configuration data. The weakness is classified under CWE-89, Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command.

Critical Impact
Remote, unauthenticated attackers can read arbitrary database contents, including Joomla! administrator password hashes, by passing crafted payloads to the wallid parameter.

Affected Products

Joomla! Sponsor Wall component version 8.0
Pulse Extensions Sponsor Wall plugin for Joomla!
Joomla! installations bundling the vulnerable com_sponsorwall extension

Discovery Timeline

2026-06-19 - CVE-2017-20264 published to NVD
2026-06-22 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2017-20264

Vulnerability Analysis

The Sponsor Wall component exposes a click task through the com_sponsorwall endpoint. The handler reads the wallid request parameter and concatenates it directly into an SQL statement without parameterization or input sanitization. Because Joomla! routes the request before authentication checks, any anonymous visitor can reach the vulnerable code path. Attackers leverage standard UNION-based and boolean-based SQLi techniques to enumerate tables, extract #__users records, and harvest session tokens. Public exploitation details are documented in Exploit-DB #42525 and the VulnCheck Joomla Advisory.

Root Cause

The component fails to validate or bind the wallid parameter before passing it to the database query builder. Joomla! provides JDatabaseQuery placeholders and the quote() helper, but the Sponsor Wall code does not use them for this parameter. The result is direct query concatenation, the canonical pattern flagged by CWE-89.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based and requires no privileges. An attacker issues a single GET request such as index.php?option=com_sponsorwall&task=click&wallid=<payload> against the target Joomla! site. The payload terminates the original query and appends a UNION SELECT to retrieve targeted columns. No user interaction beyond the request itself is needed, and the response body or HTTP status reflects the injected query result.

No verified proof-of-concept code is reproduced here. Refer to the linked Exploit-DB entry for the original technical write-up.

Detection Methods for CVE-2017-20264

Indicators of Compromise

HTTP requests to index.php containing option=com_sponsorwall combined with task=click and SQL meta-characters in wallid such as ', UNION, SELECT, --, or 0x.
Web server access logs showing repeated wallid values with encoded payloads (%27, %20UNION%20, CONCAT, information_schema).
Unexpected reads against the #__users, #__session, or #__extensions tables originating from the Joomla! application user.

Detection Strategies

Deploy WAF or reverse-proxy rules that flag SQLi tokens in any query string parameter targeting com_sponsorwall.
Enable MySQL/MariaDB general or audit logging and alert on queries referencing information_schema from the Joomla! database account.
Correlate HTTP 200 responses with anomalously large body sizes for task=click requests, which often indicate successful data extraction.

Monitoring Recommendations

Baseline normal traffic patterns to com_sponsorwall endpoints and alert on deviations in request volume or payload length.
Monitor for administrator logins from new IP addresses following any suspected injection attempt.
Track outbound connections from the web server that could indicate post-exploitation tooling or webshell deployment.

How to Mitigate CVE-2017-20264

Immediate Actions Required

Disable or uninstall the Sponsor Wall component from the Joomla! Extensions Manager until a confirmed patched release is verified.
Rotate all Joomla! administrator passwords and invalidate active sessions, assuming credentials may already be exposed.
Review database audit logs for queries referencing information_schema or the users table sourced from the Joomla! account.

Patch Information

No vendor patch has been linked in the NVD record for CVE-2017-20264. Administrators should consult the Pulse Extensions homepage and the Joomla! Extensions Directory listing for any updated release. If no fixed version is available, removal of the component is the recommended remediation.

Workarounds

Block requests containing option=com_sponsorwall&task=click at the web application firewall or reverse proxy.
Restrict the Joomla! database account to least-privilege, denying access to system schemas such as information_schema where feasible.
Apply virtual patching rules that reject non-numeric values for the wallid parameter.

bash

# Example NGINX rule to block exploitation traffic
location = /index.php {
    if ($args ~* "option=com_sponsorwall.*wallid=[^0-9&]") {
        return 403;
    }
}