CVE-2026-76050: Simple Online Food Ordering System SQLi

CVE-2026-76050 Overview

CVE-2026-76050 is a SQL injection vulnerability in SourceCodester Simple Online Food Ordering System 1.0. The flaw exists in the /admin/ajax.php?action=delete_menu endpoint, where the ID parameter is passed to a database query without proper sanitization. Attackers can manipulate the ID argument to inject arbitrary SQL statements. The vulnerability is exploitable remotely over the network without authentication or user interaction. Public exploit details have been disclosed, increasing the risk of opportunistic attacks against exposed installations. The weakness is classified under [CWE-74] (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component).

Critical Impact
Unauthenticated remote attackers can inject SQL statements through the delete_menu action, potentially reading, modifying, or deleting data in the application database.

Affected Products

SourceCodester Simple Online Food Ordering System 1.0
The vulnerable endpoint: /admin/ajax.php?action=delete_menu
Deployments exposing the admin AJAX handler to untrusted networks

Discovery Timeline

2026-08-19 - CVE-2026-76050 published to NVD
2026-08-20 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-76050

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability resides in the administrative AJAX handler ajax.php when invoked with the action=delete_menu parameter. The handler accepts an ID value from the client request and concatenates it directly into an SQL DELETE statement. Because no parameterized query, prepared statement, or type validation is applied, an attacker can supply crafted input that alters the query structure.

This is a classic injection pattern where user-controlled input reaches an SQL interpreter without neutralization. The public disclosure notes the attack can be launched remotely, and the exploit has been published. Successful exploitation can lead to unauthorized data access, data tampering, or destruction of menu records and adjacent tables via stacked or UNION-based queries where the database driver permits them.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper neutralization of special elements within the ID argument processed by the delete_menu action. The application trusts client-supplied input for a security-sensitive database operation. There is no parameter binding, whitelist validation, or context-aware escaping applied before the value is used inside the SQL statement.

Attack Vector

An attacker sends an HTTP request to /admin/ajax.php?action=delete_menu with a manipulated ID payload containing SQL metacharacters. Because the endpoint lives under /admin/ but does not enforce authentication in the vulnerable release, the request can be issued directly. The injected payload changes the intended query, letting the attacker extract data through boolean, time-based, or error-based techniques. See the GitHub Issue Report and VulDB Vulnerability Detail for reproduction notes.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-76050

Indicators of Compromise

HTTP requests to /admin/ajax.php containing action=delete_menu with SQL metacharacters such as single quotes, UNION, SLEEP(, --, or /* in the ID parameter.
Web server or application logs showing repeated delete_menu requests with varying ID values in rapid succession, indicating automated probing.
Unexpected DELETE operations or database errors in MySQL logs referencing the menu table.

Detection Strategies

Deploy web application firewall signatures that inspect query strings for SQL injection patterns targeting the ID parameter of ajax.php.
Correlate authentication-free access to /admin/ endpoints with anomalous database activity to surface exploitation attempts.
Ingest web server, application, and database logs into a centralized analytics platform and alert on injection heuristics.

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable verbose logging on the ajax.php handler and forward events to a SIEM for retention and correlation.
Monitor MySQL general and error logs for malformed statements originating from the food ordering application.
Baseline normal admin traffic volumes and alert on spikes to the delete_menu action from external IP ranges.

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-76050

Immediate Actions Required

Restrict network access to /admin/ paths using firewall rules or reverse-proxy allowlists until a fix is applied.
Enforce authentication and session checks on ajax.php actions, rejecting anonymous requests to delete_menu.
Review database logs for prior exploitation and rotate database credentials if compromise is suspected.

Patch Information

No official vendor patch has been published for SourceCodester Simple Online Food Ordering System 1.0 at the time of disclosure. Administrators should apply code-level fixes by replacing string concatenation with parameterized queries (for example, PDO prepared statements with bound parameters) and casting the ID value to an integer before use. Track vendor updates at the SourceCodester Security Resource and monitor the VulDB CVE Listing for advisories.

Workarounds

Cast the ID parameter to an integer server-side and reject any non-numeric input before the query executes.
Deploy a web application firewall rule blocking SQL metacharacters on the ajax.php?action=delete_menu endpoint.
Place the administrative interface behind a VPN or IP allowlist to eliminate unauthenticated internet exposure.

bash

# Example nginx snippet to restrict admin access by source IP
location /admin/ {
    allow 10.0.0.0/8;
    deny all;
    proxy_pass http://backend;
}