CVE-2019-20479 is a vulnerability in the popular open-source content management system Joomla. The vulnerability allows attackers to bypass authentication checks and gain access to the administrator interface of the website. Specifically, the flaw exists in the com_templates component of Joomla, which handles the templates used by the website. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to the affected website, which tricks the server into granting them access to the administration panel.
The vulnerability was first discovered in December 2019 and was assigned the CVE identifier CVE-2019-20479 by the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures database. The Joomla development team released a patch for the vulnerability in January 2020 as part of the Joomla 3.9.15 security update. Website administrators running Joomla were advised to apply the patch as soon as possible to prevent their websites from being exploited.
If left unpatched, the CVE-2019-20479 vulnerability could allow attackers to take full control of a website running Joomla. This could result in sensitive information being stolen or deleted, malicious content being added to the website, or the website being used to launch further attacks. Therefore, it is important for website administrators to stay up-to-date with security updates and patches for software they use, such as Joomla, to keep their websites secure.