SQL Injection in Online Voting System 1.0

Executive Summary

CVE-2026-14649 is a high-severity SQL Injection vulnerability found in the Online Voting System version 1.0, specifically in the saveVote.php file.

The vulnerability exists in the test_input function which processes input parameters such as voterName, voterEmail, voterID, and selectedCandidate. This function uses htmlspecialchars() without the ENT_QUOTES flag, leaving single quotes unescaped.

Because of this, attackers can manipulate these input parameters to inject malicious SQL commands, breaking the intended query structure.

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Impact Analysis

This vulnerability allows unauthenticated attackers to perform SQL Injection attacks remotely.

• Attackers can submit fraudulent votes, compromising the integrity of the voting process.
• They can extract sensitive data from other database tables.
• The attack can cause database errors that disrupt the voting system's availability.

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Detection Guidance

This vulnerability can be detected by testing the vulnerable POST parameters (voterName, voterEmail, voterID, selectedCandidate) for SQL injection. Since the attack is initiated remotely via the /saveVote.php endpoint, sending crafted SQL injection payloads in these parameters and observing the response can reveal the flaw.

• Use curl or similar tools to send POST requests with SQL injection payloads, for example:
• curl -X POST -d "voterName=' OR '1'='1" -d "[email protected]" -d "voterID=123" -d "selectedCandidate=1" http://target/saveVote.php
• Monitor for abnormal responses such as database errors, unexpected data, or successful injection indications.
• Use automated vulnerability scanners that support SQL injection detection on POST parameters targeting the /saveVote.php endpoint.

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Mitigation Strategies

Immediate mitigation steps include:

• Implement prepared statements (parameterized queries) to prevent SQL injection.
• Enforce strict input validation and sanitization on all user inputs, especially voterName, voterEmail, voterID, and selectedCandidate.
• Require voter identity verification before processing votes to add an authentication layer.
• Avoid using functions like htmlspecialchars() without ENT_QUOTES as they do not fully escape dangerous characters.
• Monitor and restrict access to the /saveVote.php endpoint to trusted sources if possible.

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Compliance Impact

The SQL Injection vulnerability in the Online Voting System 1.0 allows attackers to manipulate and extract data from the database, potentially exposing sensitive voter information such as voterName, voterEmail, and voterID.

Such unauthorized access and manipulation of personal data can lead to violations of data protection regulations like GDPR and HIPAA, which require the protection of personal and sensitive information against unauthorized access and breaches.

Additionally, the lack of proper input validation and authentication checks increases the risk of data breaches, undermining compliance with these standards that mandate secure handling and processing of personal data.

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