What it is
CVE-2015-8562 is an unauthenticated vulnerability affecting Joomla! Joomla!. Joomla! 1.5.x, 2.x, and 3.x before 3.4.6 allow remote attackers to conduct PHP object injection attacks and execute arbitrary PHP code via...
Vulnerability report
Exploited in the wild
High confidence
Not in CISA KEV
CVE-2015-8562
Joomla!
Joomla! / Joomla!
- Severity
- CVSS 7.5 · High
- Confidence
- High
- Exploit status
- Exploited in the wild
- EPSS
- 98.3%
- First observed
- —
- Last observed
- —
Decision summary
What security teams need to know first
Direct answers before the deeper technical record.
Is it exploited?
Yes. KEV Intelligence tracks this CVE as a known exploited vulnerability. Confidence is high.
Who is affected?
Joomla! / Joomla!.
What should we do?
Prioritize remediation. Validate affected assets and apply vendor fixes on an accelerated timeline.
Overview
Joomla!
Joomla! 1.5.x, 2.x, and 3.x before 3.4.6 allow remote attackers to conduct PHP object injection attacks and execute arbitrary PHP code via the HTTP User-Agent header, as exploited in the wild in December 2015.
- Published
- 16 Dec 2015
- Exploitation Reported
- 26 Jul 2026
- Attack vector
- Remote
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- —
Tags
php
metasploit
joomla
nuclei_scanner
CVE References
- CVE Record CVE.org · CVE Record https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2015-8562
- 39033 exploit-db.com · Exploit https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/39033/
- 38977 exploit-db.com · Exploit https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/38977/
- 79195 securityfocus.com · VDB Entry http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/79195
- 20151231 Joomla 1.5.x to 3.4.5 Object Injection Exploit (golang) securityfocus.com · Mailing List http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/537219/100/0/threaded
- packetstormsecurity.com/files/135100/Joomla-3.4.5-Object-Injection.html packetstormsecurity.com · CVE Record http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/135100/Joomla-3.4.5-Object-Injec...
- packetstormsecurity.com/files/134949/Joomla-HTTP-Header-Unauthentica... packetstormsecurity.com · CVE Record http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/134949/Joomla-HTTP-Header-Unauth...
- developer.joomla.org/security-centre/630-20151214-core-remote-cod... developer.joomla.org · CVE Record https://developer.joomla.org/security-centre/630-20151214-core-remote...
- rapid7.com/db/modules/exploit/multi/http/joomla_http_he... rapid7.com · CVE Record http://www.rapid7.com/db/modules/exploit/multi/http/joomla_http_heade...
- blog.sucuri.net/2015/12/remote-command-execution-vulnerabili... blog.sucuri.net · CVE Record https://blog.sucuri.net/2015/12/remote-command-execution-vulnerabilit...
Exploitation evidence
Why KEV Intelligence marks this CVE as exploited
Third-party attestation and first-party sensor observation are shown separately so teams can judge the evidence chain.
Exploited in the wild
The Shadowserver
Independent exploitation attestation added to the KEV Intelligence record.
Proof of concept available
GitHub
Public scanner or PoC coverage increases practical exploitability.
Known exploited vulnerability sources
Per-source evidence links for KEV attestations are available through the KEV Intelligence Pro API.
Learn about Pro API access| Source | Added |
|---|---|
| CVE First | 2015-12-16 21:00 UTC |
| The Shadowserver | 2026-07-26 00:00 UTC |
Detection
Operational artifacts and observed signals
Make the evidence actionable in scanner, SOC, and edge-control workflows.
Observed signals
- Request targets
- 0
- User-Agents
- 0
Raw values available in Pro and Enterprise.
Scanner coverage
Metasploit template detected 28 Apr 2025.
View Metasploit template (opens in new tab)Virtual patch status
No KEV Intelligence virtual patch is currently available. Future rules ship for ModSecurity, Cloudflare, and AWS WAF.
Learn about virtual patches →Scanner Artifacts
Scanner and exploit-framework references linked to this CVE.
| Scanner | Reference | Detected |
|---|---|---|
| Metasploit | https://github.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/blob/master/modules/exploits/multi/http/joomla_http_header_rce.rb | 28 Apr 2025 |
| Nuclei | https://github.com/projectdiscovery/nuclei-templates/blob/main/http/cves/2015/CVE-2015-8562.yaml | 25 Apr 2025 |
Risk and context
Severity, weaknesses, and research context
CVSS v2.0
7.5
High
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
EPSS
98.3%
Weaknesses
Potential Proof of Concepts
These PoCs are unverified and could contain malware. Use at your own risk.
Joomla HTTP Header Unauthenticated - Remote Code Execution
nuclei · Created Unknown
Timeline
From disclosure to observed exploitation
-
KEV confirmed by The Shadowserver
Exploitation attested by an external source
-
Metasploit module available
Exploit module available
-
Public PoC available
Public proof-of-concept code published
-
Nuclei template available
Scanner coverage available
-
Added to KEV Intelligence KEV Feed
High-confidence, third-party attested exploitation
-
CVE published
Vulnerability disclosed publicly
-
CVE ID reserved
Identifier reserved by the CNA
Pro API
Automate this intelligence
Confidence, exploit status, sensor telemetry, PoCs, scanner integrations, mentions, and tags are available programmatically for VM, SOC, and CTI workflows.
- Evidence confidence and provenance
- First-party sensor telemetry
- PoC and scanner references
- Affected versions and enrichment
- Automation-ready JSON delivery
GET /api/v2/pro/kevs/CVE-2015-8562
Free JSON includes basic KEV fields{
"cve_id": "CVE-2015-8562",
"confidence": "High",
"cvss_score": 7.5,
"cvss_estimated": false,
"epss_score": 0.98283,
"exploit_status": {
"exploited_in_the_wild": true,
"active_exploitation_observed": false
},
"sensor_telemetry": { "attempts": 0, "sensors": 0 }
}Early warning alerts
Get alerts on high-impact exploitation
Receive curator-selected alerts when exploitation activity warrants attention. Each alert includes the evidence and context needed to decide what requires attention now.