# CVE-2026-50636: LimeSurvey RemoteControl invite_participants/remind_participants SQL Injection

> Authenticated attackers can inject SQL via RemoteControl API to read sensitive data or overwrite admin credentials, requiring the non-default RemoteControl interface to be enabled.

- **Severity:** High 8.7 (`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`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 9 Jun 2026
- **Updated:** 8 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-pr6f-87hf-hx24

## What is CVE-2026-50636?

CVE-2026-50636 is a high-severity SQL injection vulnerability in LimeSurvey, published on 9 Jun 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

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.

Weakness: CWE-89 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-50636?

2 open source packages ship an affected version, including limesurvey/limesurvey.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `limesurvey/limesurvey` | Packagist | All versions to 7.0.0-beta1 | None |
| `limesurvey/limesurvey` | Packagist | All versions to 7.0.0-beta1 | None |

## How do I fix CVE-2026-50636?

No fix has been published for CVE-2026-50636 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2026-50636 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-50636 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-50636 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-50636 is a high-severity SQL injection vulnerability in LimeSurvey, published on 9 Jun 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-50636 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- limesurvey/limesurvey (Packagist): affected all versions up to 7.0.0-beta1; no fix listed
- limesurvey/limesurvey (Packagist): affected all versions up to 7.0.0-beta1; no fix listed

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-50636/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-50636/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-50636
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-50636
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-50636

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-50636/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.