CVE-2026-14652: Shopping Cart Script SQL Injection Flaw

CVE-2026-14652 Overview

CVE-2026-14652 is a SQL injection vulnerability in SourceCodester Simple and Nice Shopping Cart Script 1.0. The flaw affects the Admin Login component, specifically the /admin/login.php file. Attackers can manipulate the Username parameter to inject arbitrary SQL statements into the underlying database query. The vulnerability is remotely exploitable and requires no authentication or user interaction. The exploit has been publicly disclosed, increasing the risk of opportunistic attacks against exposed installations. This weakness is classified under CWE-74 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component).

Critical Impact
Unauthenticated remote attackers can inject SQL statements through the admin login form, potentially bypassing authentication and exposing backend database contents.

Affected Products

SourceCodester Simple and Nice Shopping Cart Script 1.0
Component: Admin Login (/admin/login.php)
Parameter: Username

Discovery Timeline

2026-07-04 - CVE-2026-14652 published to NVD
2026-07-06 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-14652

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability resides in the administrative authentication endpoint of SourceCodester Simple and Nice Shopping Cart Script 1.0. The /admin/login.php script accepts a Username parameter through an HTTP request and incorporates it into a SQL query without proper sanitization or parameterization. This allows an attacker to break out of the intended query context and append arbitrary SQL logic.

Because the injection point resides in the pre-authentication login flow, no valid credentials are required to trigger the flaw. Attackers can extract data from the underlying database, enumerate administrative accounts, or bypass authentication using classic tautology-based payloads.

Root Cause

The root cause is the direct concatenation of user-supplied input into a SQL statement without prepared statements or input validation. The application fails to neutralize SQL metacharacters submitted through the Username field. This is a textbook CWE-89 SQL injection pattern implemented in PHP code that queries the authentication database.

Attack Vector

Exploitation requires only network access to the admin login page. An attacker submits a crafted Username value containing SQL syntax through the login form or a direct HTTP POST request. The malicious payload is embedded in the resulting SQL query and executed by the database engine. Because the exploit has been made public through the GitHub Issue Tracker and VulDB Vulnerability Details, attackers can readily reproduce the technique against exposed instances.

The vulnerability mechanism is described in prose only; no verified exploit code is included here. Refer to the VulDB CVE Entry for additional technical context.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-14652

Indicators of Compromise

HTTP POST requests to /admin/login.php containing SQL metacharacters such as ', --, /*, UNION, or OR 1=1 within the Username field.
Database error messages or HTTP 500 responses returned from the admin login endpoint.
Unusual successful admin logins originating from unfamiliar IP addresses immediately following malformed login attempts.

Detection Strategies

Deploy web application firewall (WAF) rules that flag SQL injection signatures targeting the Username POST parameter on /admin/login.php.
Enable database query logging and alert on authentication queries containing tautologies or UNION SELECT clauses.
Correlate web server access logs with database logs to identify injection attempts that reach the backend.

Monitoring Recommendations

Monitor authentication failure spikes against the admin login endpoint from single or distributed sources.
Track outbound data volume from the web application server to detect potential database exfiltration.
Review admin session creation events for logins that were not preceded by a valid credential submission pattern.

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-14652

Immediate Actions Required

Restrict network access to /admin/login.php using IP allowlists, VPN gateways, or reverse proxy authentication.
Deploy WAF signatures that block SQL injection payloads targeting the login form.
Audit the database for unauthorized administrative accounts or unexpected data modifications.

Patch Information

At the time of publication, no vendor patch is referenced in the available advisories. Consult the SourceCodester Security Resource for vendor updates and review the VulDB CTI Information for tracking mitigation progress. Organizations should consider replacing the affected script or applying custom code fixes that use parameterized queries.

Workarounds

Modify /admin/login.php to use PHP Data Objects (PDO) or mysqli prepared statements with bound parameters for the Username and password fields.
Add server-side input validation that rejects non-alphanumeric characters in the Username field before it reaches the query layer.
Place the administrative interface behind an additional authentication layer such as HTTP Basic Auth or a reverse proxy.

bash

# Example nginx configuration restricting admin login access
location /admin/login.php {
    allow 10.0.0.0/8;
    deny all;
    auth_basic "Restricted Admin";
    auth_basic_user_file /etc/nginx/.htpasswd;
}