CVE-2026-14649 Overview
CVE-2026-14649 is a SQL injection vulnerability in code-projects Online Voting System 1.0. The flaw exists in the test_input function within the /saveVote.php file. Attackers can manipulate the voterName, voterEmail, voterID, or selectedCandidate parameters to inject arbitrary SQL statements. The vulnerability is exploitable remotely without authentication or user interaction. The issue is categorized under [CWE-74] as improper neutralization of special elements in output used by a downstream component.
Critical Impact
Unauthenticated remote attackers can inject SQL commands through vote submission parameters, potentially exposing or modifying voter records and election data stored in the backend database.
Affected Products
- code-projects Online Voting System 1.0
- The vulnerable component is /saveVote.php
- Affected function: test_input
Discovery Timeline
- 2026-07-04 - CVE-2026-14649 published to NVD
- 2026-07-07 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2026-14649
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability resides in the test_input function used by /saveVote.php in the Online Voting System. This function is intended to sanitize user-supplied input before database interaction. It fails to properly neutralize SQL metacharacters passed through the voterName, voterEmail, voterID, and selectedCandidate parameters. Attackers submit crafted values that break out of the intended query context and append arbitrary SQL clauses.
Because the application accepts vote submissions from unauthenticated users, exploitation requires no credentials or prior access. The attack is delivered over the network via standard HTTP POST or GET requests to the vulnerable endpoint. A public proof-of-concept has been published, lowering the barrier for opportunistic exploitation.
Root Cause
The root cause is improper input neutralization [CWE-74]. The test_input function does not use parameterized queries or prepared statements. User-controlled data is concatenated directly into SQL statements executed against the voting database. This design pattern allows injected SQL syntax to alter query logic.
Attack Vector
An attacker sends a crafted request to /saveVote.php supplying malicious payloads in one or more of the vulnerable form fields. The injected SQL executes with the privileges of the application database user. Depending on database permissions, an attacker can read voter records, alter vote counts, or extract authentication data. Refer to the GitHub Gist PoC Code and VulDB CVE-2026-14649 Details for the published exploitation walkthrough.
Detection Methods for CVE-2026-14649
Indicators of Compromise
- HTTP requests to /saveVote.php containing SQL metacharacters such as single quotes, UNION SELECT, OR 1=1, or comment sequences (--, #) in the voterName, voterEmail, voterID, or selectedCandidate parameters.
- Unexpected database error messages returned to clients from the voting application.
- Anomalous vote records with malformed voter identifiers or duplicate submissions from a single source address.
Detection Strategies
- Deploy web application firewall (WAF) signatures that identify SQL injection patterns targeting the saveVote.php endpoint.
- Enable verbose database query logging and alert on queries containing tautologies or stacked statements originating from the voting application.
- Correlate web server access logs with database audit logs to identify request-to-query pairs that deviate from expected voting workflows.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Monitor outbound traffic from the database server for signs of data exfiltration following suspicious vote submissions.
- Track failed and successful authentication events against the voting database service account.
- Baseline normal request volumes to /saveVote.php and alert on volumetric anomalies that may indicate automated injection scanning.
How to Mitigate CVE-2026-14649
Immediate Actions Required
- Restrict network access to the Online Voting System 1.0 deployment until a fix is applied, ideally placing it behind authenticated VPN or IP allowlists.
- Deploy WAF rules to block SQL injection payloads targeting voterName, voterEmail, voterID, and selectedCandidate parameters on /saveVote.php.
- Review database and application logs for signs of prior exploitation attempts referenced in the VulDB Vulnerability #376162 advisory.
Patch Information
At the time of publication, no vendor-supplied patch is listed in the NVD entry or referenced advisories. Administrators should consult the Code Projects Security Resources site for updates. Where possible, replace direct database concatenation in test_input with parameterized queries using PDO prepared statements or MySQLi bound parameters.
Workarounds
- Rewrite the affected SQL queries in saveVote.php to use prepared statements with bound parameters, eliminating string concatenation of user input.
- Apply strict server-side validation constraining voterID to numeric values and voterEmail to RFC-compliant email formats before database interaction.
- Run the application database account under least-privilege permissions, restricting it to only the tables and operations required by the voting workflow.
- If patching is not feasible in the short term, take the vulnerable instance offline until remediation is complete.
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
