CVE-2026-11507: Leave Management System SQL Vulnerability

CVE-2026-11507 Overview

CVE-2026-11507 is a SQL injection vulnerability in CodeAstro Leave Management System 1.0. The flaw resides in the /admin/delete_leave_type.php script, where the leave_type parameter is concatenated into a SQL query without proper sanitization. Authenticated remote attackers can manipulate the parameter to inject arbitrary SQL statements against the backend database. A public proof-of-concept has been disclosed, lowering the barrier to exploitation. The weakness is tracked under CWE-74 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output).

Critical Impact
Remote attackers with low-privilege access can read, modify, or delete records in the application database through the leave_type parameter of delete_leave_type.php.

Affected Products

CodeAstro Leave Management System 1.0
Component: /admin/delete_leave_type.php
Vulnerable parameter: leave_type

Discovery Timeline

2026-06-08 - CVE-2026-11507 published to NVD
2026-06-08 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-11507

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability is a classic first-order SQL injection. The delete_leave_type.php endpoint in the administrative area accepts the leave_type argument from the HTTP request and embeds it directly into a DELETE (or related) SQL statement. Because no parameterized query, prepared statement, or input sanitization is applied, an attacker can break out of the intended SQL context using characters such as single quotes, comments, and boolean conditions. The result is unauthorized database query execution under the privileges of the application's database user.

The attack is executable over the network and requires only low privileges (an account with access to the admin module). The exploit code is publicly available through a GitHub PoC Issue Discussion and the corresponding VulDB CVE-2026-11507 entry.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper neutralization of special elements passed into a downstream SQL component ([CWE-74]). The leave_type parameter is interpolated into a SQL string rather than bound as a typed parameter. The application also fails to enforce input type validation, leaving the query interpreter to parse attacker-controlled syntax.

Attack Vector

An authenticated attacker submits a crafted request to /admin/delete_leave_type.php with a malicious payload in the leave_type parameter. Typical payloads combine boolean conditions, UNION SELECT clauses, or stacked queries to extract data, bypass logic, or modify records. Because the endpoint is reachable remotely over HTTP and complexity is low, automated exploitation is straightforward once an account is obtained.

No verified exploit code is reproduced here. Refer to the VulDB Vulnerability #369127 entry and the public PoC for technical details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-11507

Indicators of Compromise

HTTP requests to /admin/delete_leave_type.php containing SQL metacharacters such as ', --, UNION, SELECT, or OR 1=1 in the leave_type parameter.
Database error messages or HTTP 500 responses correlated with requests to the vulnerable endpoint.
Unexpected DELETE, UPDATE, or SELECT statements in MySQL/MariaDB query logs originating from the application's database user.

Detection Strategies

Deploy web application firewall (WAF) signatures that flag SQL injection payloads targeting the leave_type parameter.
Enable database query logging and alert on anomalous queries issued from the delete_leave_type.php code path.
Review admin authentication logs for low-privilege accounts issuing repeated requests to administrative PHP endpoints.

Monitoring Recommendations

Forward web server access logs and database audit logs to a centralized SIEM and correlate by session ID and source IP.
Alert on bursts of requests to /admin/delete_leave_type.php from a single source within a short window.
Monitor for sudden schema changes, dropped tables, or mass deletions in the Leave Management System database.

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-11507

Immediate Actions Required

Restrict access to the /admin/ directory to trusted IP ranges using web server ACLs or a VPN.
Rotate credentials for any administrative accounts that may have been exposed, and review recent admin activity.
Deploy WAF rules that block SQL injection patterns on the leave_type parameter until a code fix is applied.

Patch Information

No official vendor patch has been published at the time of writing. Consult the CodeAstro Security Resources page and the VulDB CVE-2026-11507 entry for updates. As a code-level remediation, replace string concatenation in delete_leave_type.php with parameterized queries (PDO prepare()/bindParam() or mysqli prepared statements) and enforce server-side type validation on leave_type.

Workarounds

Apply input validation that allows only expected values (for example, numeric IDs) for the leave_type parameter before it reaches the SQL layer.
Run the application's database account with the least privileges required, removing DROP, ALTER, and cross-database access.
Place the application behind a reverse proxy or WAF with SQL injection signatures enabled until upstream remediation is available.

bash

# Example ModSecurity rule fragment to block SQLi patterns on the vulnerable parameter
SecRule REQUEST_URI "@beginsWith /admin/delete_leave_type.php" \
  "phase:2,chain,deny,status:403,id:1026115070,msg:'Possible SQLi targeting CVE-2026-11507'"
  SecRule ARGS:leave_type "@rx (?i)(union(\s|/\*.*\*/)+select|--|\bor\b\s+\d+=\d+|';)" "t:none"