CVE-2026-63221: CodeIgniter SQL Injection Vulnerability

CRITICAL
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-c9w5-rwh3-7pm9
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CVSS 9.4
CWE-89
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-63221 is a CRITICAL (CVSS 9.4) sql injection vulnerability (CWE-89: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection')) affecting CodeIgniter libraries in the Packagist ecosystem. The issue involves sql injection in query builder deletebatch() when used with where() conditions. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 4.7.4.

CVE-2026-63221 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-63221
GHSA Identifier GHSA-c9w5-rwh3-7pm9
Severity CRITICAL
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 9.4
CWE Classification CWE-89: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection')
Affected Product CodeIgniter
Package Ecosystem Packagist
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 9.4

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:H/A:H).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required None (PR:N)
User Interaction None (UI:N)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality Low (C:L)
Integrity High (I:H)
Availability High (A:H)

How to Fix CVE-2026-63221

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected CodeIgniter dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

codeigniter4/framework fixed: 4.7.4 
Upgrade codeigniter4/framework to 4.7.4
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

inspect dependencies for codeigniter4/framework

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your application is affected by CVE-2026-63221, inspect your project dependencies for CodeIgniter:

inspect dependencies for codeigniter4/framework

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of CodeIgniter in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 4.7.4), your application is affected.

Note: Verify declared build manifests and deployed runtime container environments.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-89: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection'), where the product constructs all or part of an sql command using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the intended sql command when it is sent to a downstream component. without sufficient removal or quoting of sql syntax in user-controllable inputs, the generated sql query can cause those inputs to be interpreted as sql instead of ordinary user data. In CodeIgniter, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

### Impact A SQL injection vulnerability exists in the Query Builder's `deleteBatch()` method. When `deleteBatch()` is used together with `where()` conditions, the bound values from the `WHERE` clause are substituted directly into the generated SQL **with their escape flag ignored**, so they are never escaped or quoted. If an application passes user-controlled input to `where()` before calling `deleteBatch()`, that input is interpreted as SQL rather than as a value, allowing SQL injection. This affects only the `deleteBatch()` code path. Regular `delete()` operations escape `where()` binds correctly. ### Patches Upgrade to v4.7.4 or later. ### Workarounds If you cannot upgrade immediately: - Strictly validate and cast values (e.g. numeric IDs) before using them in conditions - though this does not fully protect string conditions. - Do not pass user-controlled input to `where()` when using `deleteBatch()`. - For user-controlled conditions, use a normal `delete()` with Query Builder binds instead of `deleteBatch(`). - Where possible, express required matching values through the batch data and `onConstraint()` rather than as separate user-controlled `where()` clauses.

CVE-2026-63221 Affected CodeIgniter Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
4.7.4
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
codeigniter4/framework
 Packagist
≥ 4.3.0
< 4.7.4
4.7.4

References

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/codeigniter4/CodeIgniter4/security/advisories/GHSA-c9w5-rwh3-7pm9
NVD — CVE-2026-63221 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-63221
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/codeigniter4/CodeIgniter4/commit/f5e463b9a3e986389ce285963e51a7f1fab6559f
CodeIgniter Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/codeigniter4/CodeIgniter4
CodeIgniter Release RELEASE
https://github.com/codeigniter4/CodeIgniter4/releases/tag/v4.7.4

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-63221?
CVE-2026-63221 is a security vulnerability in CodeIgniter involving SQL injection in Query Builder deleteBatch() when used with where() conditions under CWE-89: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection').
Which CodeIgniter versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 4.7.4 across affected packages: codeigniter4/framework.
What version fixes CVE-2026-63221?
Upgrading to 4.7.4 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is codeigniter4/framework affected?
Yes, codeigniter4/framework is affected in releases prior to 4.7.4. Upgrade your dependency to 4.7.4 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-63221?
CVE-2026-63221 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.4 (CRITICAL) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:H/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-63221?
CVE-2026-63221 is classified under CWE-89: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection') (The product constructs all or part of an SQL command using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the intended SQL command when it is sent to a downstream component. Without sufficient removal or quoting of SQL syntax in user-controllable inputs, the generated SQL query can cause those inputs to be interpreted as SQL instead of ordinary user data.).
How can I check Packagist dependencies for CVE-2026-63221?
Run the dependency tree command: 'inspect dependencies for codeigniter4/framework'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-c9w5-rwh3-7pm9",
  "modified" : "2026-08-07T18:22:59Z",
  "published" : "2026-08-07T18:22:59Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-63221" ],
  "summary" : "CodeIgniter: SQL injection in Query Builder deleteBatch() when used with where() conditions",
  "details" : "### Impact\nA SQL injection vulnerability exists in the Query Builder's `deleteBatch()` method. When `deleteBatch()` is used together with `where()` conditions, the bound values from the `WHERE` clause are substituted directly into the generated SQL **with their escape flag ignored**, so they are never escaped or quoted. If an application passes user-controlled input to `where()` before calling `deleteBatch()`, that input is interpreted as SQL rather than as a value, allowing SQL injection.\n\nThis affects only the `deleteBatch()` code path. Regular `delete()` operations escape `where()` binds correctly.\n\n### Patches\nUpgrade to v4.7.4 or later.\n\n### Workarounds\nIf you cannot upgrade immediately:\n\n- Strictly validate and cast values (e.g. numeric IDs) before using them in conditions - though this does not fully protect string conditions.\n- Do not pass user-controlled input to `where()` when using `deleteBatch()`.\n- For user-controlled conditions, use a normal `delete()` with Query Builder binds instead of `deleteBatch(`).\n- Where possible, express required matching values through the batch data and `onConstraint()` rather than as separate user-controlled `where()` clauses.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:H/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Packagist",
      "name" : "codeigniter4/framework"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "4.3.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "4.7.4"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/codeigniter4/CodeIgniter4/security/advisories/GHSA-c9w5-rwh3-7pm9"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-63221"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/codeigniter4/CodeIgniter4/commit/f5e463b9a3e986389ce285963e51a7f1fab6559f"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/codeigniter4/CodeIgniter4"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/codeigniter4/CodeIgniter4/releases/tag/v4.7.4"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-89" ],
    "severity" : "CRITICAL",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-08-07T18:22:59Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-07-31T06:16:31Z"
  }
}