Live Exposure Defense: From CVE to Confirmed Exposure in 12 Hours – See more

Back
New CVE Detected

CVE-2026-63221 – SQL Injection in Query Builder deleteBatch() – CodeIgniter4 4.3.0–4.7.3

Be the first to know when new zero-days emerge:

Subscribe to Email Alerts
Subscribe to RSS Feed

Summary

CVE-2026-63221 is a critical SQL injection vulnerability (CVSS 9.4) in the Query Builder deleteBatch() method of the CodeIgniter4 PHP web framework, affecting all versions from 4.3.0 through 4.7.3. The flaw arises because deleteBatch() substitutes bound values from where() conditions directly into generated SQL while ignoring their escape flags, allowing user-controlled input to be interpreted as raw SQL. The issue was addressed in CodeIgniter4 version 4.7.4, released July 7, 2026.

Technical details

  • Root cause: In the deleteBatch() code path, bound values passed via where() conditions are injected into the generated SQL string without respecting their escape flags. This differs from the regular delete() method, which correctly escapes where() binds.
  • Trigger conditions: Exploitation requires an application endpoint that calls deleteBatch() with WHERE conditions derived from user-supplied input. Not every CodeIgniter4 installation is affected — only those implementing this specific code pattern on a network-accessible endpoint.
  • Attack vector: Network-accessible, no authentication required at the framework level (Privileges Required: None, User Interaction: None, Attack Complexity: Low). Whether a given deployment is reachable without authentication depends on application-level access controls.
  • Impact: Successful exploitation enables injection of arbitrary SQL commands into batch delete operations, with potential for unauthorized data manipulation, mass deletion of database records, and partial data disclosure.

Affected software

  • CodeIgniter4 versions 4.3.0 through 4.7.3 (inclusive)

Severity

  • CVSS v3.1 Base Score: 9.4 (Critical)
  • Vector String: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:H/A:H
  • Confidentiality Impact: Low | Integrity Impact: High | Availability Impact: High

Mitigation and recommended actions

  • Immediate: Upgrade to CodeIgniter4 version 4.7.4, which corrects the escaping behavior in deleteBatch() to match the handling used by regular delete() operations.
  • Code review: Audit application code for any use of deleteBatch() combined with where() conditions that incorporate user-supplied values. Prioritize endpoints that are publicly accessible.
  • If immediate upgrade is not feasible: Avoid passing user-controlled values into where() conditions used with deleteBatch(). Apply strict server-side input validation and consider restricting network access to affected endpoints as a temporary measure.

IONIX Status

The IONIX research team is tracking ongoing exploitation attempts and recommends immediate patching. Potentially affected assets are outlined in this post.

References

Are you exposed?

Get a free report of your organization’s exposure to this CVE and threat

  • Mapping of all Assets with this Technology
  • Identification of potentially exposed assets to this CVE
  • Confirmation of verified exploitable assets
Get Exposure Report

How IONIX’s External Exposure Management Platform Detects and Validates
Zero-Days to Shrink MTTR

1

Map your entire attack surface (continously)

IONIX uses multi-factor discovery methods, including DNS analysis, certificate mapping, metadata inspection, and more, to automatically map every internet-facing asset across your environment. This includes cloud instances, third-party platforms, shadow IT, and even forgotten infrastructure that traditional tools miss.

2

Monitor for new CVEs

Dozens of threat intel feeds using agentic technology are continuously analyzed to detect the appearance of proof-of-concept code, exploit kits, and indicators of active targeting. IONIX goes further by applying AI to proactively evaluate whether emerging vulnerabilities are likely to be exploited, even before PoCs go public.

3

Identify Potential External Exposures

Not all CVEs matter. IONIX filters vulnerabilities by asking attacker-centric questions: Can it be reached from the internet? Does it require authentication? Is it being exploited in the wild? This dramatically reduces noise and focuses teams on threats that can actually be weaponized.

4

Create Safe, Scalable Exploit Validations

IONIX transforms real-world PoCs into safe, non-intrusive test payloads that can be run in production environments without disruption. These simulations are precisely targeted to the systems that are vulnerable, ensuring rapid validation without unnecessary load.

5

Execute Exploit Validations

By combining context about software stack, versioning, exposure status, and reachability, IONIX ensures that only the right payloads are executed against the right assets, maximizing efficiency and minimizing risk.

6

Drive Fast and Actionable Remediation

Results are routed through integrations with ticketing, SOAR, and SIEM tools. Issues are written in plain language, bundled into remediation clusters, and prioritized based on asset criticality, exploitability, and blast radius. This shortens mean time to remediation (MTTR) and empowers teams to act with confidence.

Are you exposed?

Get a free report of your organization’s exposure to this CVE and threat

  • Mapping of all Assets with this Technology
  • Identification of potentially exposed assets to this CVE
  • Confirmation of verified exploitable assets
Get Exposure Report
Close

Subscribe to Threat Center RSS

Copy/paste the link below into your preferred RSS reader or follow these instructions to subscribe to Slack alerts.

Open RSS feedSlack setup instructions

Close

Get Real-Time CVE Alerts to Your Email

Be the first to know when new zero-days emerge