CVE-2026-2223: Online Reviewer System SQLi Vulnerability

CVE-2026-2223 Overview

A SQL injection vulnerability has been identified in code-projects Online Reviewer System 1.0. This security flaw affects the file /system/system/students/assessments/pretest/take/index.php, where improper handling of the ID parameter allows attackers to inject malicious SQL commands. The vulnerability can be exploited remotely without authentication, potentially enabling unauthorized access to the underlying database.

Critical Impact

Remote attackers can exploit this SQL injection vulnerability to extract sensitive data, modify database contents, or potentially compromise the entire application's data integrity through manipulation of the ID parameter.

Affected Products

• Fabian Online Reviewer System 1.0
• code-projects Online Reviewer System 1.0

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-02-09 - CVE CVE-2026-2223 published to NVD
• 2026-02-10 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-2223

Vulnerability Analysis

This SQL injection vulnerability (CWE-89) arises from insufficient input validation in the Online Reviewer System's pretest assessment functionality. The application fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input through the ID parameter before incorporating it into SQL queries. This injection flaw is classified under CWE-74 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component) and CWE-89 (SQL Injection).

The vulnerability exists in the assessment pretest module located at /system/system/students/assessments/pretest/take/index.php. When processing student assessment requests, the application directly uses the ID parameter value in database queries without proper parameterization or escaping, creating a classic SQL injection attack surface.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is improper input validation and the lack of parameterized queries or prepared statements when handling the ID parameter. The application directly concatenates user input into SQL statements, allowing attackers to break out of the intended query context and execute arbitrary SQL commands. This represents a fundamental secure coding oversight that should be addressed through proper input sanitization and the use of parameterized database queries.

Attack Vector

The attack can be initiated remotely over the network without requiring any authentication or user interaction. An attacker can craft malicious HTTP requests to the vulnerable endpoint, manipulating the ID parameter to inject SQL commands. This could allow unauthorized data extraction, modification of database records, authentication bypass, or in severe cases, command execution on the underlying database server depending on its configuration.

The vulnerability has been publicly disclosed, which increases the risk of exploitation. Attackers can target the /system/system/students/assessments/pretest/take/index.php endpoint by sending crafted requests with SQL injection payloads in the ID parameter.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-2223

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual SQL error messages in application logs related to the pretest assessment functionality
• Abnormal database queries containing SQL metacharacters in the ID parameter
• Unexpected data extraction patterns or bulk database read operations
• Access logs showing requests to /system/system/students/assessments/pretest/take/index.php with suspicious parameter values

Detection Strategies

• Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block SQL injection patterns in the ID parameter
• Monitor application logs for SQL syntax errors or unusual database query patterns
• Deploy network-based intrusion detection signatures for common SQL injection attack strings
• Utilize database activity monitoring to identify anomalous query behavior

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed logging for all requests to the affected endpoint /system/system/students/assessments/pretest/take/index.php
• Configure alerts for database queries containing common SQL injection keywords (UNION, SELECT, INSERT, DROP, etc.)
• Monitor for unusual data access patterns or bulk data retrieval from the application database
• Track failed authentication attempts that may indicate SQL injection-based authentication bypass attempts

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-2223

Immediate Actions Required

• Restrict access to the vulnerable endpoint /system/system/students/assessments/pretest/take/index.php until a patch is applied
• Implement input validation to whitelist only numeric values for the ID parameter
• Deploy a Web Application Firewall with SQL injection protection rules
• Review and audit all database access patterns for unauthorized data retrieval

Patch Information

No official vendor patch has been identified at this time. Organizations using the affected software should contact the vendor or consult the Code Projects Resource Hub for updates. Additional technical discussion and potential community fixes may be available through the GitHub CVE Issue Discussion. For tracking information, refer to VulDB #344940.

Workarounds

• Implement server-side input validation to ensure the ID parameter contains only expected numeric values
• Use prepared statements or parameterized queries if modifying the application code directly
• Restrict database user privileges to limit potential damage from successful exploitation
• Consider deploying the application behind an authenticated proxy to limit exposure

# Example WAF rule configuration (ModSecurity)
# Block SQL injection attempts in the ID parameter
SecRule ARGS:ID "@detectSQLi" \
    "id:100001,\
    phase:2,\
    deny,\
    status:403,\
    log,\
    msg:'SQL Injection attempt detected in ID parameter',\
    tag:'attack-sqli'"