CVE-2026-10226: SQL Injection in raisulislamg4 Student Management System – Exploitation & Remediation

Technical summary

The vulnerability is a classic SQL injection flaw (CWE-89) arising from improper neutralization of special elements used in an SQL command (CWE-74). The delete.php endpoint accepts user-controlled input for multiple identifier parameters without adequate sanitization or parameterized query enforcement. This allows an attacker to break out of the intended SQL context and execute arbitrary database operations. The attack vector is network-based, requires no authentication (PR:N), involves low attack complexity (AC:L), and produces direct impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the underlying data store.

Business impact

If exploited, an attacker could gain unauthorized access to student records, course information, teacher credentials, and application data. This creates exposure to student privacy violations (FERPA implications if in a U.S. educational context), data destruction, unauthorized modification of grades or enrollment status, and potential service downtime. Educational institutions relying on this system face operational disruption, regulatory scrutiny, and reputational harm.

Affected systems

The raisulislamg4 student_management_system_by_php project is affected up to commit 310d950e09013d5133c6b9210aff9444382d16d1. The project operates on a rolling-release model without formal version numbers, so there is no discrete 'affected version' list. Any deployment of this codebase at or before the specified commit is vulnerable. The vendor has not yet released a public patch or security update.

Exploitability

This vulnerability carries a CVSS 3.1 score of 7.3 (HIGH). It is highly exploitable: no authentication is required, attack complexity is low, and it can be triggered remotely over the network. Published proof-of-concept code exists, significantly lowering the barrier to exploitation. An attacker with minimal skill can craft a malicious request to delete.php and compromise the database. Active exploitation is plausible in the near term.

Remediation

Until an official patch is released, immediate mitigation steps include: isolating the affected system from untrusted networks, disabling or restricting access to delete.php if not essential, implementing Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block SQL injection patterns in user_id/course_id/teacher_id/student_id/application_id parameters, and applying input validation and output encoding at the application layer. Organizations should also review database access controls and enable query logging. A proper fix will require the vendor to implement parameterized queries (prepared statements) for all database interactions in delete.php.

Patch guidance

As of the last update, the project maintainers have not released an official patch. The project was notified early of this issue but has not yet responded publicly. Monitor the raisulislamg4 GitHub repository and any official project communication channels for security updates. When a patch is available, it will likely be merged into the main branch; verify the commit hash and review the security changes before deployment. Given the rolling-release model, patch deployment will require pulling the latest code and thorough regression testing.

Detection guidance

Monitor application and database logs for: (1) unusual SQL syntax in query logs (union, select, drop, insert keywords within user_id/course_id/teacher_id/student_id/application_id parameters); (2) HTTP requests to delete.php containing SQL metacharacters (', ", --, ;, /*, */); (3) unexpected database errors or timeouts; (4) unauthorized deletion of student, course, or application records. Implement network-based detection rules to flag requests with SQL injection payloads targeting the affected parameters. Enable database query auditing to capture suspicious activity.

Why prioritize this

This vulnerability merits immediate prioritization due to its HIGH CVSS score (7.3), low barrier to exploitation, published proof-of-concept, direct impact on sensitive educational data, and the vendor's lack of a released patch. Educational institutions and any organization running this student management system should treat remediation as urgent. The combination of network-accessible attack surface, no authentication requirement, and data sensitivity creates significant risk.

Risk score, explained

The CVSS 3.1 score of 7.3 reflects: network-based attack vector (highest severity), no authentication required, low attack complexity, and moderate impact on all three pillars of the CIA triad (confidentiality, integrity, availability). The score would be higher if the system were more widely used in critical infrastructure, but the rollout of published exploit code and the long window before vendor response elevate the practical risk.

Frequently asked questions