CVE-2026-86209 in Class and Exam Timetabling System
Summary
by MITRE • 09/06/2026
A weakness has been identified in SourceCodester Class and Exam Timetabling System 1.0. Affected is an unknown function of the file /delete_user.php. This manipulation of the argument ID causes sql injection. The attack may be initiated remotely. The exploit has been made available to the public and could be used for attacks.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/06/2026
The SourceCodester Class and Exam Timetabling System version 1.0 contains a critical security flaw within its user management module, specifically located in the /delete_user.php file. This vulnerability stems from an improper handling of input data passed via the ID argument, which is intended to identify the specific user record targeted for deletion. The application fails to adequately sanitize or validate this parameter before incorporating it into database queries. Consequently, when a remote attacker submits a specially crafted HTTP request containing malicious SQL syntax within the ID field, the backend database engine interprets these commands as part of the original query structure rather than as literal data values. This classic implementation error allows an unauthenticated or authenticated user to manipulate the intended logic of the application by injecting arbitrary Structured Query Language statements.
This vulnerability is categorized under CWE-89, which defines Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command, commonly known as SQL Injection. The technical mechanism relies on the lack of parameterized queries or prepared statements within the PHP script responsible for processing deletion requests. By exploiting this flaw, an attacker can bypass authentication controls, extract sensitive data from the database such as user credentials and personal information, modify existing records, or even execute administrative operations depending on the privileges assigned to the database account used by the web application. The availability of public exploits significantly lowers the barrier to entry for malicious actors, increasing the likelihood of automated attacks against systems running this specific version of the software.
From an operational perspective, the impact of this SQL injection vulnerability is severe and multifaceted. It compromises the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the data managed by the timetabling system. Attackers can potentially dump entire database tables to steal student records, teacher schedules, or exam results. Furthermore, depending on the underlying Database Management System configuration, such as MySQL with certain privileges enabled, an attacker might execute operating system commands through functions like LOAD_FILE or INTO OUTFILE, leading to full server compromise. This aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059, Command and Scripting Interpreter, specifically SQL injection sub-techniques that allow for remote code execution or data exfiltration without direct access to the host machine.
To mitigate this vulnerability, immediate remediation is required by developers of the SourceCodester Class and Exam Timetabling System. The primary fix involves refactoring the /delete_user.php script to use prepared statements with parameterized queries instead of concatenating user input directly into SQL strings. This ensures that any special characters or malicious syntax within the ID argument are treated strictly as data rather than executable code. Additionally, implementing strict input validation on all server-side parameters can provide an additional layer of defense by rejecting requests containing unexpected character patterns. For system administrators unable to immediately patch the application, deploying a Web Application Firewall with rules specifically tuned to detect SQL injection payloads targeting common endpoints like /delete_user.php can help block exploitation attempts until a permanent fix is deployed. Regular security audits and code reviews are also recommended to identify similar flaws in other parts of the application architecture.