CVE-2026-6167: Faculty Management System SQLi Vulnerability

CVE-2026-6167 Overview

A SQL Injection vulnerability has been identified in code-projects Faculty Management System version 1.0. The vulnerability exists in the /subject-print.php file, where improper handling of the ID parameter allows remote attackers to inject malicious SQL commands. This flaw can be exploited without authentication, enabling unauthorized access to sensitive database information, data manipulation, or potentially further system compromise.

Critical Impact

Remote attackers can exploit this SQL injection vulnerability to access, modify, or delete sensitive data in the Faculty Management System database, potentially compromising faculty records, student information, and administrative credentials.

Affected Products

• code-projects Faculty Management System 1.0
• File: /subject-print.php (ID parameter)

Discovery Timeline

• April 13, 2026 - CVE-2026-6167 published to NVD
• April 13, 2026 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-6167

Vulnerability Analysis

This SQL injection vulnerability falls under CWE-74 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component). The vulnerability allows attackers to inject arbitrary SQL syntax through the ID parameter in the /subject-print.php endpoint. Since the application fails to properly sanitize or parameterize user-supplied input before incorporating it into SQL queries, attackers can manipulate database operations.

The network-accessible nature of this vulnerability means that any remote attacker who can reach the application can attempt exploitation without requiring prior authentication or user interaction. Successful exploitation could lead to unauthorized data disclosure, data modification, or data destruction within the backend database.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is the lack of proper input validation and sanitization on the ID parameter within the /subject-print.php file. The application directly concatenates user-supplied input into SQL queries without using parameterized queries or prepared statements. This allows special SQL characters and commands to be interpreted by the database engine rather than treated as data.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based, requiring no authentication or user interaction. An attacker can craft malicious HTTP requests targeting the /subject-print.php endpoint with specially crafted ID parameter values containing SQL injection payloads.

The exploitation involves manipulating the ID parameter to inject SQL syntax that alters the intended query logic. Typical attack payloads might include UNION-based injection to extract data from other tables, boolean-based blind injection to enumerate database contents, or time-based blind injection techniques. The public availability of exploit information increases the risk of widespread exploitation.

For detailed technical information and proof-of-concept details, refer to the GitHub Issue Tracker and VulDB Vulnerability #357055.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-6167

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual or malformed requests to /subject-print.php containing SQL syntax in the ID parameter
• Database error messages in application logs indicating SQL syntax errors
• Unexpected database queries containing UNION, SELECT, OR, AND with suspicious patterns
• Evidence of data exfiltration or unauthorized database access in audit logs

Detection Strategies

• Deploy Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block SQL injection patterns in HTTP parameters
• Implement database activity monitoring to identify anomalous query patterns targeting the Faculty Management System database
• Configure intrusion detection systems (IDS) with signatures for common SQL injection attack patterns
• Enable detailed application logging for the /subject-print.php endpoint to capture all requests

Monitoring Recommendations

• Monitor web server access logs for requests to /subject-print.php with unusual ID parameter values
• Set up alerts for database errors or exceptions originating from the Faculty Management System application
• Review database audit logs for unauthorized data access or modifications
• Implement real-time monitoring for suspicious network traffic patterns targeting the application

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-6167

Immediate Actions Required

• Restrict access to the Faculty Management System to trusted networks or IP addresses until patching is complete
• Deploy a Web Application Firewall with SQL injection protection rules in front of the application
• Review and audit database access logs for signs of prior exploitation
• Consider taking the application offline if it contains sensitive data and cannot be immediately secured

Patch Information

No official vendor patch has been identified at this time. The application is maintained by code-projects. Organizations should monitor the Code Projects Resource for security updates. Until a patch is available, implement the workarounds and mitigations described below.

For additional vulnerability details and community threat intelligence, see VulDB CTI for #357055.

Workarounds

• Implement input validation on the ID parameter to accept only numeric values
• Modify the application code to use parameterized queries or prepared statements for all database interactions
• Deploy network-level access controls to limit who can reach the /subject-print.php endpoint
• Consider deploying a reverse proxy with input filtering capabilities to sanitize requests before they reach the application

# Example: Apache mod_rewrite rule to block suspicious ID parameter values
# Add to .htaccess or Apache configuration
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} (union|select|insert|update|delete|drop|script|'|"|;) [NC]
RewriteRule ^subject-print\.php$ - [F,L]