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CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X
Primary rating from NVD · only source for this CVE.
CVSS VectorNVD
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X
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4DescriptionCVE.org
The RemoteControl API methods invite_participants and remind_participants pass a caller-supplied token-ID array into TokenDynamic::findUninvited(), which concatenates the values directly into a tid IN ('...') SQL clause without parameterization or input validation. A remote, authenticated attacker holding the tokens/update permission on a survey can inject a crafted array element to perform SQL injection. Because LimeSurvey configures its PDO connection with emulated prepared statements (emulatePrepare = true) and does not disable MySQL multi-statements, the injection supports stacked queries: the attacker can append arbitrary additional statements (INSERT/UPDATE/DELETE/DROP/CREATE) after the original SELECT. This permits both arbitrary read of any data in the database, such as administrator bcrypt password hashes (lime_users), survey response PII, session records, and global settings, all recoverable via a SLEEP() time-based blind oracle, and arbitrary write/destruction of that data, including directly overwriting the administrator password hash for immediate account takeover or dropping/truncating tables. Reads and writes extend to any schema the application's database user can access. The RemoteControl interface (RPCInterface = json/xml) must be enabled, which is not the default.
AnalysisAI
SQL injection in LimeSurvey's RemoteControl API (invite_participants and remind_participants methods) allows an authenticated attacker with tokens/update permission on a survey to execute arbitrary stacked SQL queries against the application database. Because PDO emulated prepared statements are enabled and MySQL multi-statements are not disabled, attackers can read administrator bcrypt hashes via time-based blind techniques or directly overwrite credentials for instant account takeover. No public exploit identified at time of analysis; the upstream fix is published as LimeSurvey PR #5031, which replaces unsafe string concatenation with parameterized addInCondition().
Technical ContextAI
LimeSurvey is a widely deployed PHP-based open-source survey platform that exposes a JSON-RPC/XML-RPC RemoteControl API. The vulnerable sink is TokenDynamic::findUninvited() in application/models/TokenDynamic.php, which built a 'tid IN (...)' clause by implode()'ing the caller-supplied $aTokenIds array directly into SQL with no escaping (CWE-89, classic SQL injection). Compounding the flaw, LimeSurvey's PDO connection runs with emulatePrepare=true and does not toggle off MySQL multi-statement support, so a single injected payload can terminate the SELECT and append INSERT/UPDATE/DELETE/DROP/CREATE statements. The CPE cpe:2.3:a:limesurvey:limesurvey:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* covers all versions prior to the fix landed in PR #5031.
RemediationAI
Upstream fix available (PR/commit); released patched version not independently confirmed - apply the change in https://github.com/LimeSurvey/LimeSurvey/pull/5031, which replaces unsafe addCondition() string concatenation with the parameterized addInCondition('tid', $aTokenIds) helper, and upgrade to the first tagged LimeSurvey release that includes that merge as soon as the vendor publishes it. Until a patched release is deployed, the highest-impact compensating control is to disable the RemoteControl interface by setting RPCInterface to off in application/config/config.php (side effect: any external automation that depends on JSON-RPC/XML-RPC will break). If RemoteControl must remain enabled, restrict access at the network layer to trusted source IPs, audit and minimize accounts that hold the tokens/update permission on surveys, and consider hardening PDO by disabling emulated prepared statements and MySQL multi-statement support so that a future injection cannot trivially escalate to stacked queries. Cross-reference the VulnCheck advisory at https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/limesurvey-remotecontrol-invite-participants-remind-participants-sql-injection for additional vendor guidance.
Same weakness CWE-89 – SQL Injection
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External POC / Exploit Code
Leaving vuln.today
EUVD-2026-35770
GHSA-pr6f-87hf-hx24