VulnerabilityPublished 22 Mar 2026

CVE-2026-4557: code-projects Exam Form Submission · Cross-site Scripting

Affects code-projects Exam Form SubmissionSource CVE Database V5

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Public exploit available · CVSS 5.3 Medium.

Data as of 30 Oct 2026, 06:59 UTC

CVSS 4.0 base score

5.3Medium

How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

EPSS: 0.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 19% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.

CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:P/VC:N/VI:L/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:P

Base metrics

Attack Vector: Network
Attack Complexity: Low
Attack Requirements: None
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: Passive
Vulnerable system confidentiality: None
Vulnerable system integrity: Low
Vulnerable system availability: None
Subsequent system confidentiality: None
Subsequent system integrity: None
Subsequent system availability: None

Threat metrics

Exploit Maturity: POC

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Vector: Network: The vulnerable system is bound to the network stack and the set of possible attackers extends beyond the other options listed below, up to and including the entire Internet. Such a vulnerability is often termed “remotely exploitable” and can be thought of as an attack being exploitable at the protocol level one or more network hops away (e.g., across one or more routers).
Attack Complexity: Low: The attacker must take no measurable action to exploit the vulnerability. The attack requires no target-specific circumvention to exploit the vulnerability. An attacker can expect repeatable success against the vulnerable system.
Attack Requirements: None: The successful attack does not depend on the deployment and execution conditions of the vulnerable system. The attacker can expect to be able to reach the vulnerability and execute the exploit under all or most instances of the vulnerability.
Privileges Required: None: The attacker is unauthorized prior to attack, and therefore does not require any access to settings or files of the vulnerable system to carry out an attack.
User Interaction: Passive: Successful exploitation of this vulnerability requires limited interaction by the targeted user with the vulnerable system and the attacker’s payload. These interactions would be considered involuntary and do not require that the user actively subvert protections built into the vulnerable system.
Vulnerable system confidentiality: None: There is no loss of confidentiality within the Vulnerable System.
Vulnerable system integrity: Low: Modification of data is possible, but the attacker does not have control over the consequence of a modification, or the amount of modification is limited. The data modification does not have a direct, serious impact to the Vulnerable System.
Vulnerable system availability: None: There is no impact to availability within the Vulnerable System.
Subsequent system confidentiality: None: There is no loss of confidentiality within the Subsequent System or all confidentiality impact is constrained to the Vulnerable System.
Subsequent system integrity: None: There is no loss of integrity within the Subsequent System or all integrity impact is constrained to the Vulnerable System.
Subsequent system availability: None: There is no impact to availability within the Subsequent System or all availability impact is constrained to the Vulnerable System.
Exploit Maturity: POC: Based on threat intelligence sources each of the following must apply: · Proof-of-concept is publicly available · No knowledge of reported attempts to exploit this vulnerability · No knowledge of publicly available solutions used to simplify attempts to exploit the vulnerability

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v4.0 specification.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 22 Mar 2026
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponized: evidence found.
CVSS exploit maturity: proof of concept public
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), CVSS vector, the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 29 Oct 2026.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponized: A Metasploit exploit module or Exploit-DB entry exists (Metasploit scanner modules do not count), or CISA SSVC or the CVSS exploit maturity reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
code-projectsExam Form Submission	Affected =1.0	Fixed in–
GitHubdsdsadawada/CVE1`pkg:github/dsdsadawada/CVE1`Other threats	Affected =1.0	Fixed in–

CPE configurations (1)

cpe:2.3:a:code-projects:exam_form_submission:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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AI-suggested

To mitigate this vulnerability, organizations should immediately implement strict input validation and output encoding on the sname parameter within the /admin/update_s1.php script to neutralize malicious scripts. Employ Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to restrict the execution of unauthorized scripts in the admin interface. Limit access to the administrative panel by IP whitelisting or VPN-only access to reduce exposure. Educate administrators about the risks of clicking unknown or suspicious links and encourage the use of multi-factor authentication to reduce the impact of session hijacking. Monitor web server logs for unusual requests targeting the sname parameter and deploy web application firewalls (WAFs) with rules to detect and block XSS payloads. Regularly back up critical data and configurations to enable recovery if an attack occurs. Finally, maintain contact with the vendor or community for updates and patches addressing this vulnerability.

Description

CVE-2026-4557 is a medium severity cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability found in code-projects Exam Form Submission version 1.0. The flaw exists in the /admin/update_s1.php file where the sname parameter is improperly sanitized, allowing remote attackers to inject malicious scripts. Exploitation does not require authentication but does require user interaction, such as tricking an administrator into clicking a crafted link. The vulnerability could lead to session hijacking, defacement, or redirection to malicious sites. No patches are currently available, and no known exploits are actively used in the wild. Organizations using this product should prioritize input validation and consider restricting access to the vulnerable admin interface. Countries with significant use of this software or similar educational platforms may be more at risk.

Impact

The primary impact of this vulnerability is the potential compromise of administrative sessions through cross-site scripting attacks. Successful exploitation could allow attackers to steal session cookies, perform unauthorized actions on behalf of administrators, or redirect users to malicious websites. This can lead to unauthorized access to sensitive data, manipulation of exam form submissions, or disruption of educational processes. While the vulnerability does not directly affect system availability or cause data loss, the integrity and confidentiality of administrative operations are at risk. Organizations relying on the affected software may face reputational damage, regulatory scrutiny, and operational disruptions if exploited. The fact that no authentication is required to initiate the attack increases the attack surface, especially if the admin interface is exposed to the internet or accessible by multiple users. The lack of patches means organizations must rely on mitigation strategies until an official fix is released.

Summary

CVE-2026-4557 identifies a cross-site scripting vulnerability in the code-projects Exam Form Submission software, specifically version 1.0. The vulnerability is located in the /admin/update_s1.php script, where the sname parameter is not properly sanitized or encoded before being reflected in the web page output. This allows an attacker to inject arbitrary JavaScript code remotely by manipulating the sname argument. The vulnerability can be exploited without any authentication, increasing its risk profile, but requires user interaction, such as an administrator clicking a maliciously crafted URL or submitting a form containing the payload. The CVSS 4.0 score of 5.3 reflects a medium severity, considering the network attack vector, low attack complexity, no privileges required, and no user authentication needed, but with user interaction required and limited impact on confidentiality and integrity. The vulnerability could be leveraged to execute scripts in the context of the admin user’s browser, potentially leading to session hijacking, unauthorized actions, or phishing attacks. Currently, no official patches or fixes have been published, and no known exploits are reported in the wild, but the public disclosure of the exploit code increases the risk of future attacks. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input validation and output encoding in web applications, especially in administrative interfaces.

References

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