CVE-2023-31843 in Faculty Evaluation System
Summary
by MITRE • 05/15/2023
Sourcecodester Faculty Evaluation System v1.0 is vulnerable to SQL Injection via /eval/admin/view_faculty.php?id=.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/28/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-31843 affects the Sourcecodester Faculty Evaluation System version 1.0, specifically targeting the administrative component responsible for viewing faculty records. This system appears to be a web-based application designed for academic evaluation processes, where administrators can manage and review faculty performance data. The vulnerability manifests through an insecure input handling mechanism in the view_faculty.php script, which processes user-supplied identifiers without adequate validation or sanitization. The affected parameter id= within the URL path represents a critical weakness that allows malicious actors to manipulate database queries through direct input injection.
The technical flaw constitutes a classic SQL injection vulnerability that falls under CWE-89, which defines improper neutralization of special elements used in an SQL command. The application fails to implement proper parameterized queries or input sanitization techniques when processing the id parameter passed to the view_faculty.php endpoint. This allows attackers to append malicious SQL constructs to the query string, potentially enabling unauthorized data access, modification, or deletion of database records. The vulnerability is particularly concerning as it exists within the administrative interface, suggesting that successful exploitation could provide attackers with elevated privileges and access to sensitive academic personnel data.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to the confidentiality and integrity of academic institution data. Successful exploitation could result in unauthorized access to faculty evaluation records, personal information, performance metrics, and potentially sensitive institutional data. The attack surface is relatively narrow but impactful since it targets the administrative functionality of the system. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to extract database contents, modify faculty records, or even escalate privileges within the application. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1071.004 for application layer protocol manipulation, where adversaries exploit weaknesses in web application input handling to achieve their objectives.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing proper input validation and parameterized queries to prevent SQL injection attacks. The system administrators should immediately implement proper parameterized SQL queries for all database interactions, particularly for the id parameter in the view_faculty.php script. Input validation should be enforced at multiple layers including application-level filtering and database-level access controls. The recommended approach aligns with OWASP Top Ten security practices and follows the principle of least privilege for database connections. Additionally, implementing web application firewalls and regular security code reviews can help prevent similar vulnerabilities in future releases. The system should also incorporate proper error handling that does not expose database structure information to end users, as this could aid attackers in crafting more sophisticated injection payloads.