CVE-2026-26697: Student Alumni System SQLi Vulnerability

CVE-2026-26697 Overview

A SQL Injection vulnerability exists in code-projects Simple Student Alumni System v1.0 through the /TracerStudy/recordteacher_view.php endpoint via the teacherID parameter. This vulnerability allows authenticated attackers with administrative privileges to execute arbitrary SQL queries against the underlying database, potentially leading to unauthorized data extraction.

Critical Impact

Authenticated attackers can exploit this SQL Injection flaw to extract sensitive student and alumni data from the database, compromising the confidentiality of user information stored in the system.

Affected Products

• Carmelo Simple Student Alumni System v1.0
• code-projects Simple Student Alumni System v1.0

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-03-02 - CVE CVE-2026-26697 published to NVD
• 2026-03-03 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-26697

Vulnerability Analysis

This SQL Injection vulnerability exists in the recordteacher_view.php file within the TracerStudy module of the Simple Student Alumni System. The application fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input passed through the teacherID parameter before incorporating it into SQL queries. When a privileged user supplies a maliciously crafted teacherID value, the unsanitized input is directly concatenated into the SQL statement, allowing the attacker to modify the query's logic and extract data they should not have access to.

The vulnerability requires high-level privileges to exploit, meaning an attacker must first authenticate with administrative credentials. However, once authenticated, they can leverage this flaw to extract sensitive information from the database including student records, alumni data, and potentially credentials for other users.

Root Cause

The root cause is a classic CWE-89 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command) vulnerability. The application directly incorporates user-controlled input from the teacherID GET parameter into SQL queries without implementing proper parameterized queries or adequate input sanitization. This design flaw allows attackers to inject SQL syntax that alters the intended query behavior.

Attack Vector

The attack is conducted over the network and requires no user interaction. An authenticated attacker with administrative privileges navigates to the vulnerable endpoint and manipulates the teacherID parameter in the URL. By appending SQL injection payloads such as UNION-based or boolean-based techniques, the attacker can extract data from the database.

A typical attack would involve crafting a URL like /TracerStudy/recordteacher_view.php?teacherID=1' UNION SELECT... where the injected SQL payload allows the attacker to retrieve data from other tables or columns within the database. For detailed technical analysis, refer to the GitHub SQL Injection Report.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-26697

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual database query patterns in application logs containing SQL syntax in the teacherID parameter
• Access to /TracerStudy/recordteacher_view.php with malformed or unusually long teacherID values
• Error messages in logs indicating SQL syntax errors from the database server
• Database logs showing UNION-based queries or time-based extraction attempts

Detection Strategies

• Implement web application firewall (WAF) rules to detect SQL injection patterns in the teacherID parameter
• Monitor HTTP access logs for requests to recordteacher_view.php containing SQL keywords (UNION, SELECT, OR, AND, etc.)
• Deploy database activity monitoring to detect anomalous query patterns from the application
• Configure intrusion detection systems (IDS) with signatures for common SQL injection payloads

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable verbose logging on the web server for requests to the TracerStudy module
• Set up alerts for failed SQL queries or database error messages in application logs
• Monitor for bulk data extraction patterns that may indicate successful exploitation
• Review administrative user access logs for unusual activity patterns

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-26697

Immediate Actions Required

• Restrict network access to the Simple Student Alumni System to trusted networks only
• Implement additional authentication controls for administrative functions
• Deploy a web application firewall (WAF) with SQL injection protection rules
• Review and audit administrative user accounts for unauthorized access

Patch Information

As of the last update on 2026-03-03, no official vendor patch has been released for this vulnerability. Organizations using the Simple Student Alumni System v1.0 should monitor the vendor for security updates. In the absence of an official patch, implement the workarounds listed below to reduce risk exposure.

Workarounds

• Implement input validation to allow only numeric values in the teacherID parameter
• Use prepared statements or parameterized queries in the application code if source code modifications are possible
• Deploy a WAF rule to block requests containing SQL injection patterns in the teacherID parameter
• Restrict access to the /TracerStudy/recordteacher_view.php endpoint through network segmentation or access controls

# Example WAF rule configuration (ModSecurity)
SecRule ARGS:teacherID "@rx ['\";]|union|select|and|or" \
    "id:1001,\
    phase:2,\
    deny,\
    status:403,\
    msg:'SQL Injection attempt detected in teacherID parameter'"