CVE-2026-14695: Multi-Vendor Grocery System SQLi Flaw

CVE-2026-14695 Overview

CVE-2026-14695 is a SQL injection vulnerability in SourceCodester Multi-Vendor Online Grocery Management System 1.0. The flaw resides in the save_client function within classes/Users.php, part of the Registration Handler component. Attackers manipulate the Name argument to inject arbitrary SQL statements into the underlying database query. The vulnerability is exploitable remotely without authentication and requires no user interaction. A public exploit disclosure exists, increasing the likelihood of opportunistic abuse against internet-exposed installations. The issue maps to [CWE-74] (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component).

Critical Impact
Unauthenticated remote attackers can inject SQL through the registration Name parameter to read, modify, or corrupt database contents.

Affected Products

SourceCodester Multi-Vendor Online Grocery Management System 1.0
Component: Registration Handler (classes/Users.php)
Function: save_client

Discovery Timeline

2026-07-05 - CVE-2026-14695 published to NVD
2026-07-07 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-14695

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability exists in the save_client function of classes/Users.php, which handles new client registration submissions. User-supplied input passed through the Name parameter is concatenated directly into a SQL statement without parameterization or sanitization. An attacker submits a crafted registration payload where the Name field contains SQL syntax that alters the query structure.

Because the registration endpoint is publicly reachable and requires no prior authentication, exploitation can be automated at scale. Successful injection allows extraction of database contents including client credentials and vendor data. Depending on the database user's privileges, attackers may also modify records or invoke stacked queries.

Root Cause

The root cause is direct string concatenation of untrusted input into a SQL query inside save_client. The code path does not use prepared statements, parameter binding, or input validation on the Name field before passing it to the database driver.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based over HTTP. An attacker sends a POST request to the registration endpoint with a malicious Name value. No credentials, tokens, or user interaction are required. The exploit has been made public through the referenced GitHub issue and VulDB entry.

The vulnerability manifests during registration form processing. The Name parameter flows unfiltered into a SQL INSERT or SELECT statement, allowing standard union-based, boolean-based, or time-based blind SQL injection techniques. See the VulDB advisory for additional technical context.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-14695

Indicators of Compromise

Registration requests containing SQL metacharacters such as single quotes, UNION, SELECT, --, /*, or SLEEP( in the Name field.
Unexpected new accounts or modified rows in the users or clients database tables.
Web server logs showing repeated POST requests to registration endpoints handled by classes/Users.php.
Database error messages returned to clients referencing MySQL syntax errors during registration.

Detection Strategies

Deploy web application firewall rules that inspect the Name POST parameter for SQL injection payload patterns.
Enable database query logging and alert on INSERT or SELECT statements containing tautologies or UNION clauses originating from the registration handler.
Monitor application logs for HTTP 500 responses tied to the registration endpoint, which often indicate injection probes.

Monitoring Recommendations

Correlate application, web server, and database logs to identify multi-stage exploitation attempts against classes/Users.php.
Track outbound traffic from the application host for signs of data exfiltration following suspicious registration activity.
Baseline normal registration volume and alert on statistical anomalies in submission rate or payload length.

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-14695

Immediate Actions Required

Restrict public access to the registration endpoint until a fix is applied, using network ACLs or an authenticated reverse proxy.
Audit the users and clients tables for unauthorized entries or modified fields.
Rotate database credentials and any secrets that may have been exposed through injection.
Deploy WAF signatures blocking SQL metacharacters in the Name parameter as a compensating control.

Patch Information

No vendor patch is referenced in the enriched advisory data. Administrators should monitor the SourceCodester project page and the VulDB entry for updates. Until an official fix is released, apply source-level remediation by replacing string concatenation in save_client with parameterized queries using prepared statements.

Workarounds

Modify classes/Users.php to use PDO or MySQLi prepared statements with bound parameters for all values written during registration.
Apply strict server-side input validation on the Name field, rejecting non-printable characters and SQL syntax tokens.
Configure the database account used by the application with least-privilege permissions, removing DROP, ALTER, and FILE rights.
Disable verbose SQL error output in the application's production configuration to prevent information leakage.

bash

# Configuration example: least-privilege MySQL user for the application
CREATE USER 'grocery_app'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'strong-random-secret';
GRANT SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE ON grocery_db.* TO 'grocery_app'@'localhost';
REVOKE FILE, DROP, ALTER ON *.* FROM 'grocery_app'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;