CVE-2026-94048: QR Code Attendance System Privilege Escalation

CVE-2026-94048 Overview

CVE-2026-94048 is an improper privilege management vulnerability [CWE-266] in CodeAstro QR Code Attendance Management System 1.0. The flaw resides in the Save function of app/Controllers/UserController.php. An authenticated attacker can manipulate the role_id parameter to alter privilege assignments. The exploit is publicly disclosed and can be triggered remotely over the network.

Critical Impact
Authenticated users with high privileges can tamper with the role_id argument to modify account roles, undermining the application's authorization model and exposing user and attendance data to unauthorized actions.

Affected Products

CodeAstro QR Code Attendance Management System 1.0
Component: app/Controllers/UserController.php
Vulnerable function: Save

Discovery Timeline

2026-09-20 - CVE CVE-2026-94048 published to NVD
2026-09-21 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-94048

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability affects the user management workflow implemented in UserController.php. When the Save action processes an incoming request, it accepts a client-supplied role_id parameter without adequate authorization checks. An attacker who reaches this endpoint can assign an arbitrary role to a target user account. This behavior maps to CWE-266: Incorrect Privilege Assignment. The attack is network-reachable and does not require user interaction. Public exploit information is available through the referenced VulDB and GitHub disclosures.

Root Cause

The Save handler treats the role_id field as trusted input from the request body. The controller does not validate whether the calling account is permitted to change role assignments, nor does it restrict which values the field may hold. Because role designation drives downstream authorization decisions, the missing check collapses the separation between standard and administrative roles.

Attack Vector

Exploitation requires a valid authenticated session with elevated privileges. The attacker submits a crafted request to the user save endpoint, supplying a role_id value that maps to a higher-privileged role. The application persists the modified role, granting the target account expanded access on subsequent logins. See the GitHub Issue Discussion and VulDB CVE-2026-94048 entries for reproduction details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-94048

Indicators of Compromise

HTTP POST requests to the user save endpoint containing unexpected role_id values.
Unexplained changes in the users table role_id column outside of administrator-initiated actions.
Newly elevated accounts performing administrative operations shortly after profile updates.

Detection Strategies

Instrument the Save handler with audit logging that records the acting user, target user, and old/new role_id values.
Alert when non-administrator sessions issue requests that mutate role assignments.
Correlate authentication events with role-change events to surface privilege escalations that follow low-privilege logins.

Monitoring Recommendations

Review web server logs for requests to the user controller with parameters containing role_id.
Baseline expected administrator activity and flag deviations in role modification frequency.
Track privileged account creation and modification events in a centralized log platform.

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-94048

Immediate Actions Required

Restrict access to the user management endpoints to verified administrator accounts only.
Audit the users table for unauthorized role_id changes and revert any suspicious assignments.
Rotate credentials for accounts that received unexpected privilege elevations.

Patch Information

No vendor patch is referenced in the published advisory. Monitor the CodeAstro Security Resource and the VulDB Vulnerability #407977 entry for updates. Until a fix is published, apply the workarounds below.

Workarounds

Modify the Save function in app/Controllers/UserController.php to reject the role_id field unless the requester holds the administrator role.
Implement server-side allowlisting of acceptable role_id values instead of trusting client input.
Add a separate, permission-gated endpoint dedicated to role management, keeping profile updates and privilege assignment logically distinct.

bash

# Configuration example
# Example server-side pseudocode to guard the Save handler
# if (!currentUser.hasRole('admin')) {
#     unset($request['role_id']);
# }
# $allowedRoles = [2, 3];
# if (isset($request['role_id']) && !in_array((int)$request['role_id'], $allowedRoles, true)) {
#     abort(403);
# }