CVE-2026-30531: Online Food Ordering System SQLi Flaw

CVE-2026-30531 Overview

A SQL Injection vulnerability has been identified in SourceCodester Online Food Ordering System version 1.0. The vulnerability exists in the Actions.php file, specifically within the save_category action. The application fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input to the "name" parameter, allowing an authenticated attacker to inject malicious SQL commands that can compromise the underlying database.

Critical Impact

Authenticated attackers can exploit this SQL injection flaw to extract sensitive data, modify database contents, or potentially escalate privileges within the application.

Affected Products

• SourceCodester Online Food Ordering System v1.0
• oretnom23 online_food_ordering_system (CPE: cpe:2.3:a:oretnom23:online_food_ordering_system:1.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*)

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-03-27 - CVE-2026-30531 published to NVD
• 2026-03-30 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-30531

Vulnerability Analysis

This SQL Injection vulnerability (CWE-89) affects the category management functionality within the Online Food Ordering System. When an authenticated user submits data through the save_category action in Actions.php, the application directly incorporates the "name" parameter value into SQL queries without proper sanitization or parameterization.

The vulnerability requires network access and low-privilege authentication to exploit. Once authenticated, an attacker can craft malicious input containing SQL syntax that gets interpreted and executed by the database server. This can lead to unauthorized access to sensitive information including user credentials, order details, and payment information stored in the database.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is improper input validation and the absence of parameterized queries (prepared statements) in the Actions.php file. The save_category action constructs SQL queries by directly concatenating user-supplied input from the "name" parameter, creating a classic SQL injection attack surface. This violates secure coding practices that mandate input sanitization and the use of parameterized database queries.

Attack Vector

The attack is conducted over the network against the web application. An attacker must first authenticate to the system (even with low-level privileges) to access the category management functionality. Once authenticated, the attacker can manipulate the "name" parameter in requests to the save_category action, injecting SQL commands that the database will execute with the application's database privileges.

The injection point allows attackers to perform various malicious operations including:

• Extracting sensitive data from the database using UNION-based or blind SQL injection techniques
• Modifying or deleting database records
• Potentially escalating privileges by manipulating user account data
• In some configurations, executing system commands through database-specific functions

Technical details and proof-of-concept information can be found in the GitHub PoC Repository.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-30531

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual or malformed requests to Actions.php containing the save_category action with suspicious characters in the "name" parameter (e.g., single quotes, SQL keywords like UNION, SELECT, OR, AND)
• Database error messages in application logs indicating SQL syntax errors from user input
• Unexpected database queries or access patterns in database audit logs
• Evidence of data exfiltration or unauthorized database modifications

Detection Strategies

• Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect SQL injection patterns in POST/GET parameters targeting Actions.php
• Monitor application logs for SQL error messages that may indicate injection attempts
• Deploy database activity monitoring to detect anomalous query patterns, especially those involving UNION statements or multiple query execution
• Use intrusion detection systems (IDS) with signatures for common SQL injection payloads

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed logging for the Actions.php endpoint and review logs for suspicious parameter values
• Configure database audit logging to track all queries executed by the web application user
• Set up alerts for database errors that match SQL injection patterns
• Monitor for unusual data access patterns that may indicate successful exploitation

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-30531

Immediate Actions Required

• Restrict access to the category management functionality until the vulnerability is patched
• Implement input validation at the application layer to reject malicious input patterns
• Deploy WAF rules to block common SQL injection attack vectors targeting the vulnerable endpoint
• Review database permissions and apply principle of least privilege to the application's database user

Patch Information

No official vendor patch has been released for this vulnerability at the time of publication. The application is developed by oretnom23 on SourceCodester. Users should monitor the project repository for security updates.

As an interim measure, administrators should implement prepared statements (parameterized queries) in the Actions.php file to prevent SQL injection. The vulnerable code should be modified to use PDO or MySQLi prepared statements instead of directly concatenating user input into SQL queries.

Workarounds

• Use prepared statements with parameterized queries when interacting with the database to prevent SQL injection
• Implement strict input validation on the "name" parameter, allowing only expected characters (alphanumeric, spaces, and limited punctuation)
• Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) configured to detect and block SQL injection attempts
• Consider disabling or restricting access to the category management feature until a proper fix is implemented
• Apply database-level restrictions to limit the damage potential if exploitation occurs

# Example WAF rule concept for ModSecurity to block SQL injection
# Add to your ModSecurity configuration
SecRule ARGS:name "@detectSQLi" \
    "id:100001,\
    phase:2,\
    deny,\
    status:403,\
    msg:'SQL Injection attempt detected in save_category name parameter',\
    logdata:'Matched Data: %{MATCHED_VAR} found within %{MATCHED_VAR_NAME}'"