CVE-2026-37595: Work From Home Attendance SQLi Flaw

CVE-2026-37595 Overview

CVE-2026-37595 is a SQL Injection vulnerability affecting SourceCodester Online Employees Work From Home Attendance System v1.0. The vulnerability exists in the file /wfh_attendance/admin/manage_employee.php, allowing attackers with administrative privileges to inject malicious SQL queries through improperly sanitized input parameters.

Critical Impact

Authenticated attackers with high privileges can exploit this SQL Injection flaw to extract sensitive information from the underlying database, potentially exposing employee data and system credentials.

Affected Products

• SourceCodester Online Employees Work From Home Attendance System v1.0
• /wfh_attendance/admin/manage_employee.php endpoint

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-04-14 - CVE-2026-37595 published to NVD
• 2026-04-14 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-37595

Vulnerability Analysis

This SQL Injection vulnerability (CWE-89) occurs in the manage_employee.php file within the administrative interface of the SourceCodester Online Employees Work From Home Attendance System. The vulnerability requires network access and high-level administrative privileges to exploit, which limits the attack surface. However, successful exploitation allows unauthorized read access to confidential database information.

The attack can be executed remotely over the network without requiring user interaction. While the impact is constrained to confidentiality compromise with limited scope, the vulnerability exposes a fundamental flaw in how user-supplied input is processed within database queries.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper neutralization of special elements used in SQL commands (CWE-89). The manage_employee.php script fails to properly sanitize or parameterize user input before incorporating it into SQL queries. This allows attackers to manipulate the query logic by injecting SQL syntax through vulnerable parameters.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based, targeting the administrative interface at /wfh_attendance/admin/manage_employee.php. An attacker with valid administrative credentials can craft malicious input containing SQL metacharacters and injection payloads. When processed by the vulnerable script, these payloads alter the intended SQL query execution, enabling data extraction from the database.

The vulnerability mechanism involves insufficient input validation where user-controlled data is concatenated directly into SQL statements rather than using prepared statements or parameterized queries. For detailed technical analysis, refer to the GitHub SQL Injection Report.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-37595

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual SQL error messages in web server logs originating from /wfh_attendance/admin/manage_employee.php
• Abnormal database query patterns including UNION SELECT, OR 1=1, or encoded SQL syntax in request parameters
• Increased database read operations from administrative sessions accessing employee management functions
• Web application firewall alerts for SQL injection patterns targeting the attendance system

Detection Strategies

• Deploy web application firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block SQL injection attempts targeting /wfh_attendance/admin/manage_employee.php
• Implement database activity monitoring to identify anomalous queries executing against employee data tables
• Enable detailed logging for all administrative actions within the attendance system
• Configure intrusion detection systems (IDS) with signatures for common SQL injection payloads

Monitoring Recommendations

• Monitor HTTP request logs for suspicious characters and SQL keywords in parameters sent to the manage_employee.php endpoint
• Track administrative login patterns and correlate with database access to identify potential exploitation attempts
• Set up alerts for failed SQL queries or database errors that may indicate exploitation probing
• Review access logs for administrative endpoints regularly to identify unusual activity patterns

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-37595

Immediate Actions Required

• Restrict access to the /wfh_attendance/admin/manage_employee.php endpoint to trusted IP addresses only
• Implement additional authentication controls for administrative functions
• Deploy a web application firewall with SQL injection protection rules
• Review and audit administrative user accounts to ensure only authorized personnel have access

Patch Information

No official vendor patch information is currently available. Organizations using SourceCodester Online Employees Work From Home Attendance System v1.0 should monitor the vendor's official channels for security updates. The vulnerability details are documented in the GitHub SQL Injection Report.

Workarounds

• Implement input validation and sanitization for all user-supplied parameters in the manage_employee.php file
• Modify the source code to use prepared statements with parameterized queries for all database interactions
• Deploy a reverse proxy or WAF to filter malicious SQL injection payloads before they reach the application
• Consider restricting administrative interface access to internal networks only via VPN or firewall rules

# Example: Restrict access to admin directory via .htaccess
<Directory "/var/www/html/wfh_attendance/admin">
    Order Deny,Allow
    Deny from all
    Allow from 192.168.1.0/24
    Allow from 10.0.0.0/8
</Directory>