CVE-2026-86276 in Syllabus-Aligned Learning Management & Examination System
Summary
by MITRE • 09/07/2026
A flaw has been found in SourceCodester Syllabus-Aligned Learning Management & Examination System 1.0. This issue affects some unknown processing of the file db.php. Executing a manipulation can lead to hard-coded credentials. The attack can be executed remotely. The exploit has been published and may be used.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/07/2026
The vulnerability identified in SourceCodester Syllabus-Aligned Learning Management & Examination System version 1.0 represents a critical security deficiency rooted in the improper handling of database configuration files, specifically db.php. This flaw is categorized under CWE-798: Use of Hard-coded Credentials, which describes situations where authentication credentials are embedded directly into source code rather than being managed through secure configuration mechanisms or environment variables. In this specific instance, the processing logic within db.php fails to obscure or protect sensitive database access information, leaving it exposed to any user with network connectivity to the application server. The presence of hard-coded credentials in a publicly accessible web application creates an immediate and severe risk vector for unauthorized access to the underlying data store.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability allows remote attackers to extract valid usernames and passwords directly from the source code without requiring prior authentication or complex exploitation techniques. Because the exploit has been published, automated scanning tools and malicious actors can readily identify vulnerable instances of this learning management system on the internet. The ability to execute such manipulation remotely means that an attacker does not need physical access or local shell privileges; a simple HTTP request targeting the db.php file is sufficient to retrieve the credentials. This significantly lowers the barrier for entry, enabling even low-skilled threat actors to compromise the system by leveraging publicly available proof-of-concept code found in exploit databases.
The impact of this vulnerability extends beyond mere credential theft. Once an attacker obtains the database credentials exposed through db.php, they can gain full administrative access to the backend database. This leads directly to CWE-284: Improper Access Control and potentially CWE-613: Insufficient Session Expiration or other related data exposure issues depending on how the application uses these privileges. The compromised credentials allow for unauthorized modification of student records, examination results, syllabus content, and user accounts. Furthermore, if the database server is configured with weak network isolation policies, an attacker could potentially pivot from web access to direct database management tool access, increasing the scope of potential damage significantly. This aligns with MITRE ATT&CK technique T1078: Valid Accounts, where attackers use legitimate credentials obtained through various means to maintain persistent access and move laterally within a network environment.
Mitigation strategies must focus on immediate remediation of the source code and broader security hardening practices. The primary corrective action is to remove all hard-coded database credentials from db.php and any other configuration files included in the web root directory. These sensitive values should instead be stored in externalized configuration files that are not accessible via HTTP requests, or managed through secure environment variables on the server hosting the application. Additionally, file permissions for configuration directories must be restricted to prevent unauthorized reading by web processes if they contain secrets, although best practice dictates keeping them out of the document root entirely. Developers should also implement input validation and output encoding principles across the entire codebase to address potential secondary vulnerabilities that often accompany such poorly structured applications. Regular security audits using static application security testing tools can help identify similar hard-coded secret patterns before deployment in production environments.