CVE-2026-6010: CodeAstro Online Classroom SQLi Vulnerability

CVE-2026-6010 Overview

A SQL injection vulnerability has been discovered in CodeAstro Online Classroom version 1.0. The vulnerability exists in the file /OnlineClassroom/takeassessment2.php and can be exploited by manipulating the Q1 argument parameter. This allows attackers to inject malicious SQL queries remotely, potentially compromising the underlying database and sensitive educational data.

Critical Impact

Remote attackers with low privileges can exploit this SQL injection flaw to extract, modify, or delete data from the Online Classroom database. The exploit has been publicly disclosed, increasing the risk of active exploitation.

Affected Products

• CodeAstro Online Classroom 1.0

Discovery Timeline

• April 10, 2026 - CVE-2026-6010 published to NVD
• April 13, 2026 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-6010

Vulnerability Analysis

This SQL injection vulnerability (classified as CWE-74: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component) affects the assessment functionality within CodeAstro Online Classroom. The vulnerable endpoint /OnlineClassroom/takeassessment2.php?exid=14 fails to properly sanitize user input passed through the Q1 parameter before incorporating it into database queries.

When a user submits assessment answers, the application directly concatenates user-supplied input into SQL statements without proper parameterization or escaping. This allows attackers to break out of the intended query context and inject arbitrary SQL commands that the database will execute with the privileges of the web application.

The network-accessible nature of this vulnerability means attackers can exploit it remotely, though some level of authentication appears to be required to access the assessment functionality.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is improper input validation and the absence of parameterized queries (prepared statements) in the assessment processing code. The Q1 parameter, which is intended to capture user answers to assessment questions, is directly interpolated into SQL queries without sanitization. This represents a classic injection vulnerability pattern where user input is trusted and directly used in a sensitive operation.

Attack Vector

The attack can be executed remotely over the network by any authenticated user who has access to the assessment functionality. An attacker would navigate to the vulnerable endpoint and craft a malicious payload in the Q1 parameter. By injecting SQL syntax, the attacker can manipulate the query logic to extract sensitive data (such as student records, grades, or credentials), modify existing records, or potentially escalate privileges within the application.

The exploit for this vulnerability has been publicly released, making it trivial for even low-skilled attackers to leverage. Technical details and discussion can be found in the GitHub Issue Discussion and VulDB Vulnerability #356566.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-6010

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual or malformed requests to /OnlineClassroom/takeassessment2.php containing SQL syntax in URL parameters
• Database logs showing unexpected queries or error messages related to SQL syntax errors
• Access logs with repeated requests to the takeassessment2.php endpoint with varying Q1 parameter values
• Evidence of data exfiltration or unauthorized database modifications

Detection Strategies

• Deploy web application firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block SQL injection patterns in HTTP requests
• Monitor application logs for requests containing common SQL injection payloads such as single quotes, UNION SELECT, OR 1=1, or comment sequences
• Implement database activity monitoring to detect anomalous query patterns or unauthorized data access
• Use intrusion detection systems (IDS) with signatures for SQL injection attack patterns

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable verbose logging for the web application and database to capture detailed request information
• Configure alerting for any access to the vulnerable takeassessment2.php endpoint until patched
• Monitor for unusual database query execution times which may indicate injection-based data extraction
• Review user access patterns for assessment functionality to identify potential reconnaissance activity

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-6010

Immediate Actions Required

• Restrict or disable access to the /OnlineClassroom/takeassessment2.php endpoint until a patch is available
• Implement input validation and WAF rules to filter SQL injection attempts targeting the Q1 parameter
• Review database user permissions and ensure the web application uses a least-privilege database account
• Audit database logs for any evidence of prior exploitation attempts

Patch Information

At the time of publication, no official patch has been released by CodeAstro. Administrators should monitor the CodeAstro website for security updates. Until an official fix is available, organizations should apply the workarounds below and consider taking the affected functionality offline if the risk is deemed unacceptable.

For additional vulnerability details and tracking information, refer to VulDB Submission #794658.

Workarounds

• Implement server-side input validation to reject any Q1 parameter values containing SQL metacharacters
• Deploy a WAF with SQL injection detection rules in front of the application
• Modify the vulnerable code to use parameterized queries or prepared statements if source code access is available
• Limit network access to the Online Classroom application to trusted IP ranges only

# Example WAF rule to block common SQL injection patterns (ModSecurity)
SecRule ARGS:Q1 "@rx (?i)(\b(union|select|insert|update|delete|drop|exec|execute)\b|--|#|\/\*)" \
    "id:100001,phase:2,deny,status:403,msg:'SQL Injection attempt blocked in Q1 parameter'"