CVE-2026-105182 in Online Reviewer Management System
Summary
by MITRE • 10/05/2026
A security flaw has been discovered in SourceCodester Online Reviewer Management System 1.0. Impacted is an unknown function of the file /reviewer_0/admins/assessments/activities/btn_functions.php?action=update. The manipulation of the argument Title results in sql injection. The attack may be performed from remote. The exploit has been released to the public and may be used for attacks.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/05/2026
A critical security vulnerability has been identified within SourceCodester Online Reviewer Management System version 1.0, specifically affecting an administrative function responsible for updating assessment activities. The flaw resides in the file located at /reviewer_0/admins/assessments/activities/btn_functions.php when invoked with the action parameter set to update. This component processes user-supplied input through the Title argument without implementing adequate sanitization or validation mechanisms, creating a direct pathway for SQL injection attacks. Because this endpoint is part of an administrative interface, it typically requires authentication; however, if credentials are compromised or if the system lacks robust access controls, remote attackers can exploit this weakness to manipulate backend database operations.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-89, which classifies Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command. The application fails to properly escape special characters within the Title parameter before incorporating it into a dynamic SQL query string. This allows an attacker to inject malicious SQL statements that alter the logic of database queries. Depending on the underlying database management system and its configuration, this could lead to unauthorized data retrieval, modification, or deletion. In severe cases, if the web application runs with elevated privileges such as db_owner in Microsoft SQL Server or root in MySQL, attackers might execute operating system commands via extended stored procedures or file write operations, thereby achieving full compromise of the server hosting the database.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses a significant risk to data integrity and confidentiality within the reviewer management ecosystem. Successful exploitation could allow adversaries to extract sensitive information such as user credentials, personal identifiable information associated with reviewers, or confidential assessment materials stored in the system. Furthermore, because the exploit has been released publicly, automated scanning tools and malicious actors can easily locate vulnerable instances on the internet. This increases the likelihood of opportunistic attacks where attackers scan for known vulnerabilities rather than conducting targeted reconnaissance. The presence of a public exploit significantly lowers the barrier to entry for less sophisticated threat actors, amplifying the potential impact across organizations relying on this specific version of the software.
To mitigate these risks, immediate remediation is required by updating the source code to implement parameterized queries or prepared statements for all database interactions involving user input. This ensures that data and SQL logic are strictly separated, preventing injection attempts from altering query execution plans. Additionally, developers should enforce strict input validation on the Title field, rejecting any characters that do not conform to expected formats such as alphanumeric strings with limited special characters like spaces or hyphens. Implementing a Web Application Firewall can provide an additional layer of defense by detecting and blocking common SQL injection patterns in HTTP requests. It is also crucial to apply principle of least privilege to the database account used by the web application, ensuring that even if an injection occurs, the attacker cannot perform destructive actions like dropping tables or accessing unrelated databases. Regular security audits and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar flaws across other endpoints within the administration panel.