CVE-2026-93963: Leave Management System SQL Injection Flaw

CVE-2026-93963 is a SQL injection vulnerability in itsourcecode Leave Management System 1.0 affecting the department controller module. Attackers can exploit this flaw remotely to manipulate database queries. This article covers technical details, affected versions, security impact, and mitigation strategies.

CVE-2026-93963 Overview

CVE-2026-93963 is a SQL injection vulnerability in itsourcecode Leave Management System 1.0. The flaw resides in an unspecified function within /module/department/controller.php. Manipulation of the DEPTID parameter allows an authenticated remote attacker to inject arbitrary SQL statements into backend database queries.

The exploit has been publicly disclosed, increasing the likelihood of opportunistic attacks against exposed installations. The vulnerability is categorized under [CWE-74] (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component).

Critical Impact
Authenticated remote attackers can inject SQL statements through the DEPTID parameter, potentially exposing or modifying department and leave records stored in the application database.

Affected Products

itsourcecode Leave Management System 1.0
Vulnerable file: /module/department/controller.php
Vulnerable parameter: DEPTID

Discovery Timeline

2026-09-20 - CVE-2026-93963 published to NVD
2026-09-21 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-93963

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability affects the department module of the itsourcecode Leave Management System. The controller script processes the DEPTID request parameter and passes it into a SQL query without proper sanitization or parameterized binding.

Exploitation requires network access and low-privilege authenticated credentials. No user interaction is needed to trigger the flaw. The public disclosure of exploit details lowers the barrier for attackers targeting exposed installations.

The EPSS probability for this CVE is 0.333% with a percentile of 23.75, indicating a modest but non-zero likelihood of near-term exploitation attempts. The vulnerability was assigned to [CWE-74], covering broader injection weaknesses.

Root Cause

The root cause is the direct concatenation of the user-supplied DEPTID value into a SQL statement in /module/department/controller.php. The application does not validate the input type or use prepared statements with bound parameters.

Because the parameter is expected to be a numeric department identifier, the developer likely trusted its format without enforcement. Attackers can supply crafted payloads containing SQL syntax that alters the intended query logic.

Attack Vector

The attack is delivered over the network against the web interface of the Leave Management System. An attacker with valid low-privilege credentials submits a request to the department controller with a malicious DEPTID value. The injected payload is interpreted by the backend database, allowing data extraction, modification, or enumeration of schema information depending on database permissions.

Description of exploitation: An attacker appends SQL fragments such as boolean-based, error-based, or UNION-based payloads to the DEPTID parameter. See the GitHub Issue Discussion and VulDB Vulnerability Details for public technical context.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-93963

Indicators of Compromise

HTTP requests to /module/department/controller.php containing SQL metacharacters such as single quotes, UNION, SELECT, SLEEP, or comment sequences in the DEPTID parameter.
Web server or PHP error logs showing SQL syntax errors originating from the department controller.
Unexpected database queries against department or user tables issued from the Leave Management System application account.

Detection Strategies

Deploy web application firewall (WAF) rules that inspect the DEPTID parameter for SQL injection payloads and enforce numeric-only input.
Enable database query logging and correlate unusual queries with HTTP requests to the department module.
Review authentication logs for low-privilege accounts issuing repeated requests to /module/department/controller.php.

Monitoring Recommendations

Alert on non-numeric characters within the DEPTID parameter at the reverse proxy or WAF layer.
Monitor for spikes in HTTP 500 responses from the Leave Management System that may indicate injection probing.
Track outbound database traffic volume for anomalies consistent with bulk data extraction.

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-93963

Immediate Actions Required

Restrict network access to the Leave Management System to trusted users and internal networks until a patch is available.
Audit application accounts and remove or disable low-privilege accounts that are not required for operations.
Review database logs for evidence of prior exploitation targeting the department controller.

Patch Information

No official vendor patch has been published at the time of writing. Refer to the VulDB CVE Details entry and the vendor site at IT Source Code Overview for updates. Organizations running this application should apply source-level fixes by replacing dynamic SQL with parameterized queries.

Workarounds

Modify /module/department/controller.php to cast DEPTID to an integer before use in SQL statements.
Implement prepared statements using PDO or mysqli with bound parameters throughout the department module.
Deploy WAF rules to block SQL injection patterns targeting the DEPTID parameter as an interim control.
Enforce least-privilege database credentials so the application account cannot access unrelated schemas.

bash

# Configuration example: nginx rule to block non-numeric DEPTID values
location /module/department/controller.php {
    if ($arg_DEPTID !~ "^[0-9]+$") {
        return 403;
    }
}