# Helix3 Template (shaper_helix3) below 3.1.2 - Unauthenticated File Write/Delete via com_ajax (RCE, CVE-2026-49049)

[Joomla Vulnerability Database](https://mysites.guru/vulnerabilities/)/CVE-2026-49049

CVE-2026-49049HighCVSS 7.5CVE published 29 June 2026Added to mySites.guru 29 June 2026

# Helix3 Template (shaper\_helix3) below 3.1.2 - Unauthenticated File Write/Delete via com\_ajax (RCE, CVE-2026-49049)

The Helix3 template framework's com\_ajax plugin handler (plugins/ajax/helix3/helix3.php, onAjaxHelix3) performs a file write/delete reachable without authentication: no authorise() or session-token gate on a guest com\_ajax request. Fixed in Helix3 3.1.1 (JoomShaper security release, 29 Jun 2026); the patched build closes multiple unauthenticated vectors in the handler, not only the reported actions. CVE pending (credited to Phil Taylor, Blue Flame Digital Solutions). Update to 3.1.1 or later. Affected 1.0-3.1.1 (CVE-2026-49049); fixed in Helix3 3.1.2.

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## Is my site affected?

- **Affected** - Helix3 Template before 3.1.2
- **Fixed in** - 3.1.2
- **What to do** - Update Helix3 Template to 3.1.2 or later.

[Check whether your sites are affected](https://mysites.guru/free-audit/)

## How CVE-2026-49049 is scored

The base metrics as CISA-ADP published them, and what each one means for a site running an affected version. Threat and environmental metrics are left out: they describe a moment or a particular install rather than the flaw.

7.5 High

CVSS 3.1, scored by CISA-ADP

`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N`

### How it is reached

- **AV:N Attack vector** - Network. Reachable across the internet
- **AC:L Attack complexity** - Low. Nothing to work around, it just works
- **PR:N Privileges required** - None. No account needed
- **UI:N User interaction** - None. Nobody has to be tricked into anything
- **S:U Scope** - Unchanged. Contained to the extension it is in

### What it does

- **C:N Confidentiality** - None. Nothing can be read
- **I:H Integrity** - High. Data and files can be altered at will
- **A:N Availability** - None. The site stays up

mySites.guru rates this Critical. Where our assessment and the published record differ, your sites are checked against ours.

## Timeline

1.  29 June 2026CVE-2026-49049 record published by its CNA
2.  29 June 2026mySites.guru check added for Helix3 Template (before 3.1.2)

## Rule details

Critical[CVE-2026-49049](https://mysites.guru/vulnerabilities/CVE-2026-49049/)2026-06-29

[Helix3 Template](https://mysites.guru/vulnerabilities/shaper-helix3/)

Affected versions: < 3.1.2

Full advisory: [www.joomshaper.com](https://www.joomshaper.com/joomla-templates/helix3)

## Other vulnerabilities in Helix3 Template

Updating for CVE-2026-49049 alone can leave a site on a release another rule still matches. These are the other flaws we check for in the same extension.

### [Helix3 Template](https://mysites.guru/vulnerabilities/shaper-helix3/)

Latest safe version: 3.1.2

## References

-   [CVE-2026-49049 on cve.org (the official CVE record)](https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-49049)
-   [CVE-2026-49049 in the NIST National Vulnerability Database](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-49049)
-   [joomshaper.com/joomla-templates/helix3](https://www.joomshaper.com/joomla-templates/helix3)

## CVE-2026-49049 questions

Show all

Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-49049?

[CVE-2026-49049](https://mysites.guru/vulnerabilities/CVE-2026-49049/) affects Helix3 Template before 3.1.2. The fix is in 3.1.2.

How do I fix CVE-2026-49049?

Update Helix3 Template to 3.1.2 or later. Then confirm the installed version on the Joomla administrator's Extensions: Manage screen.

How severe is CVE-2026-49049?

CISA-ADP scores it 7.5 (High) under CVSS 3.1. In plain terms: reachable across the internet, no account needed and nobody has to be tricked into anything.

## Running an affected version on a site you manage?

A free audit tells you which of your Joomla and WordPress sites run an affected version, which are out of date, and which have not been backed up. No card required. If a site is already compromised, [fix.mysites.guru](https://fix.mysites.guru/) is a single fixed fee per incident, usually resolved the same day.

This check is part of the [mySites.guru Joomla vulnerability scanner](https://mysites.guru/joomla-vulnerability-scanner/), which reads every installed extension's version on each audit. Browse the rest of the [Joomla vulnerability database](https://mysites.guru/vulnerabilities/).

Rules current as of 14 October 2026.