Vulnerability Summary

• CVE ID: CVE-2026-0546
• Affected Product: Code-Projects CMS
• Affected Version: v1.0
• Vulnerable Component: search.php
• Vulnerability Type: SQL Injection
• CVSS Score: 7.5 (High)
• Attack Vector: Remote
• Authentication Required: No
• User Interaction: Not required
• Exploitability: High
• Exploit Availability: Publicly disclosed
• Primary Impact: Database compromise (read / modify data)

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Executive Overview

CVE-2026-0546 is a high-severity SQL injection vulnerability affecting the search functionality of Code-Projects CMS version 1.0. The flaw exists in the search.php endpoint, where user-supplied input is inserted directly into SQL queries without proper validation or parameter binding.

Because the endpoint is publicly accessible and does not require authentication, any remote attacker can exploit it by sending crafted HTTP requests. Successful exploitation allows attackers to directly interact with the backend database, potentially exposing sensitive data such as user accounts, password hashes, configuration values, and stored content.

The vulnerability has been publicly disclosed, meaning it is likely already indexed by automated scanners and exploitation frameworks. Systems exposed to the internet should be considered at immediate risk.

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Technical Root Cause

The application dynamically constructs SQL queries using raw input taken from HTTP request parameters passed to search.php. The following security controls are missing:

• Prepared statements / parameterized queries
• Input validation or normalization
• Context-aware escaping
• Output error suppression

As a result, SQL control characters and logic operators are interpreted by the database engine rather than treated as plain text.

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Exploitation Flow

1. Attacker identifies a public search endpoint.
2. Crafted input containing SQL logic is submitted via HTTP.
3. Application concatenates the input into an SQL query.
4. Database executes the injected logic.
5. Attacker gains visibility or control over database content.

No credentials are required, and exploitation can be fully automated.

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MITRE Mapping

• CWE-89: SQL Injection
• MITRE ATT&CK:
  • T1190 – Exploit Public-Facing Application

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Proof-of-Concept Status

The vulnerability has been publicly disclosed, which strongly indicates the existence of proof-of-concept exploitation details in public channels. Even without a formal PoC, exploitation is trivial due to the lack of input handling. Defenders should assume active exploitation is possible.

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Detection Strategy

1 Relevant Log Sources

• Web server access logs
• Web server error logs
• Application logs
• Database query and error logs
• WAF / reverse proxy logs

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2 Indicators of Attack

• Repeated requests to /search.php
• Search parameters containing SQL logic
• URL-encoded SQL characters
• SQL syntax or query errors in logs
• Abnormally high search request volume from a single source

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Splunk Detection Rules

1 SQL Injection Attempt Detection

index=web_logs
(uri_path="/search.php" OR url="/search.php")
| eval decoded_query=urldecode(query_string)
| where match(decoded_query,"(?i)(union\s+select|select\s+.*from|or\s+1=1|and\s+1=1|--|/\*|\*/|;)")
| stats count by src_ip, user_agent, decoded_query
| where count > 2

Purpose: Detect direct SQL injection attempts
Severity: High

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2 Excessive Probing Detection

index=web_logs
uri_path="/search.php"
| stats count by src_ip
| where count > 50

Purpose: Identify scanners or automated exploitation
Severity: Medium → High

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3 Backend SQL Error Correlation

index=app_logs OR index=db_logs
("SQL syntax error" OR "query failed" OR "unexpected token")
| stats count by src_ip, host

Purpose: Identify backend impact from injection attempts

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Web Application Firewall (WAF) Rules

1 Blocking Rule (ModSecurity-Style)

SecRule REQUEST_URI "@contains /search.php" \
"id:20260546,phase:2,block,log,msg:'SQL Injection attempt on search.php',chain"
SecRule ARGS "@rx (?i)(union\s+select|select\s+.*from|or\s+1=1|and\s+1=1|--|/\*|\*/|;)"

Why it works:

• Scoped only to vulnerable endpoint
• Combines keywords with operators
• Minimizes false positives

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2 WAF Hardening Recommendations

• Enable anomaly-based SQL injection detection
• Increase inspection strictness on search parameters
• Apply rate limiting to search.php
• Log low-confidence matches for review

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IDS / IPS Rules

1 SQL Injection Signature

alert http any any -> $HOME_NET any (
msg:"CVE-2026-0546 SQL Injection Attempt";
flow:to_server,established;
http.uri; content:"/search.php";
http.request_body;
pcre:"/(?i)(union\s+select|select\s+.*from|or\s+1=1|and\s+1=1|--|;)/";
classtype:web-application-attack;
sid:20260546;
rev:1;
)

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2 Enumeration / Probing Behavior

alert http any any -> $HOME_NET any (
msg:"SQL Injection Enumeration Detected";
flow:to_server,established;
http.uri; content:"/search.php";
threshold:type both, track by_src, count 5, seconds 60;
classtype:web-application-attack;
sid:20260547;
rev:1;
)

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Incident Response Workflow

1. Alert triggered (Splunk / WAF / IDS)
2. Confirm requests target search.php
3. Identify source IPs and patterns
4. Check WAF block status
5. Review database logs for unauthorized queries
6. Block offending IPs
7. Validate database integrity
8. Rotate credentials if exposure suspected
9. Escalate if data compromise confirmed

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Mitigation and Remediation

Immediate Actions

• Deploy WAF rules
• Monitor logs continuously
• Restrict database permissions
• Rate-limit search requests

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Permanent Fix (Required)

• Replace dynamic SQL with prepared statements
• Enforce strict input validation
• Remove verbose SQL error messages
• Review all public endpoints for similar flaws

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Patch Status

At the time of analysis, there is no confirmed official vendor security patch specifically addressing CVE-2026-0546. Only apply fixes released by official maintainers or implement internal remediation after secure code review. If the CMS is no longer maintained, migration should be considered.

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Risk Assessment

Category	Risk
Confidentiality	High
Integrity	High
Availability	Medium
Likelihood	High

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Final Assessment

CVE-2026-0546 is a classic but highly dangerous vulnerability: an unauthenticated SQL injection in a public endpoint. Its simplicity, combined with public disclosure and lack of built-in protections, makes it a realistic threat to any exposed instance.

Organizations running Code-Projects CMS should treat this vulnerability as urgent, deploy layered detection immediately, and prioritize permanent remediation.

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