CVE-2026-10227: SQL Injection in Student Management System User Creation Handler

Technical summary

The vulnerability resides in add_user_check.php's User Creation Handler component, where the 'role' argument is processed without proper input validation or parameterized queries. This classic SQL injection (CWE-89) combined with improper input neutralization (CWE-74) allows an unauthenticated remote attacker to inject SQL syntax. The CVSS v3.1 score of 7.3 (HIGH) reflects the network-accessible nature, absence of authentication requirements, and the attack's ability to compromise confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the underlying database. No authentication or user interaction is required to exploit this flaw.

Business impact

If this student management system processes enrollment data, grades, or personally identifiable information (PII) of students and staff, a successful SQL injection attack could result in unauthorized access to sensitive educational records, unauthorized modifications to student accounts or grades, or complete database corruption. Organizations relying on this system face potential regulatory violations (FERPA, GDPR), reputational damage, and operational disruption. The public disclosure of the vulnerability and availability of exploitation details elevate the risk of opportunistic attacks.

Affected systems

The raisulislamg4 student_management_system_by_php is affected up to commit 310d950e09013d5133c6b9210aff9444382d16d1. Because the project follows a rolling release model, no specific version numbers or patch versions have been officially designated. All instances running this codebase at or before the noted commit are vulnerable. Systems using older snapshots or branches that haven't incorporated fixes are at risk.

Exploitability

Exploitability is high. The vulnerability requires no authentication, no user interaction, and no special network positioning—it is exploitable directly over the network from an unauthenticated attacker. The public disclosure and availability of proof-of-concept information mean that attack tooling and techniques are likely documented or in circulation. The straightforward nature of SQL injection in a user-creation endpoint makes this accessible to both skilled and moderately skilled attackers. No CISA KEV listing currently exists, but the public disclosure status should elevate monitoring priority.

Remediation

Immediate remediation requires code review and patching of add_user_check.php. Implement prepared statements or parameterized queries for all database interactions involving user-supplied input, particularly the 'role' parameter. Apply robust input validation and whitelist acceptable role values. The project maintainers have been notified but have not yet responded; organizations should not wait for an official patch and instead perform immediate code assessment or consider deploying a Web Application Firewall (WAF) to block SQL injection patterns as a temporary control. If possible, restrict network access to the user creation endpoint.

Patch guidance

Because the student management system follows rolling releases, check the project's repository (raisulislamg4/student_management_system_by_php) for any commits after 310d950e that address SQL injection in add_user_check.php. Apply the latest version from the main development branch if available. Verify against the vendor advisory or repository changelog to confirm the fix is included. In the absence of an official patch, implement the technical controls described above (parameterized queries, input validation) directly in your environment or consider forking and patching the code internally if you maintain a local instance.

Detection guidance

Monitor add_user_check.php access logs for requests containing SQL metacharacters (quotes, semicolons, UNION, SELECT, etc.) in the 'role' parameter. Deploy Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block common SQL injection payloads. Enable database query logging to identify suspicious or unusual SQL commands that deviate from expected user-creation patterns. Alert on failed database connection attempts or unexpected database permission errors that might indicate exploitation attempts. Network-based intrusion detection signatures targeting SQL injection in HTTP parameters should be tuned and enabled.

Why prioritize this

This vulnerability merits immediate prioritization due to the combination of a HIGH CVSS score (7.3), unauthenticated network exploitability, public disclosure, and the sensitive nature of the data typically stored in student management systems (PII, academic records). The lack of official patch status and unresponsive maintainers means organizations cannot rely on a vendor update timeline and must take independent action. Any internet-facing instance should be treated as critically exposed.

Risk score, explained

The CVSS v3.1 score of 7.3 reflects: (1) Network accessibility (AV:N) with no authentication (PR:N) or user interaction (UI:N), making the attack straightforward and widely executable; (2) Low attack complexity (AC:L), as SQL injection in web applications is a well-established technique; (3) Impact on all three security objectives—the vulnerability enables attackers to read (Confidentiality), modify (Integrity), and potentially delete (Availability) database contents. The 'U' in Scope (SU) indicates the impact is limited to the vulnerable component, not system-wide, which moderates the score somewhat. The HIGH severity classification is justified given the direct path to unauthorized database manipulation.

Frequently asked questions