GHSA-c9w5-rwh3-7pm9 is a critical-severity (CVSS 9.4) SQL Injection vulnerability in codeigniter4/framework. A fix is available for codeigniter4/framework — see the affected versions and patch details below.
CodeIgniter: SQL injection in Query Builder deleteBatch() when used with where() conditions
Exploitation Status
No confirmed exploitation observed yet
- CISA assesses this as automatable — exploitation doesn’t require manual, per-target effort, which raises the odds of mass scanning and opportunistic attacks.
- CISA’s own triage has not observed active exploitation or public proof-of-concept code for this CVE as of its last assessment.
Exploitation and automatability from CISA’s SSVC triage for GHSA-c9w5-rwh3-7pm9.
EPSS Exploitation Probability
EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) is a daily probability model maintained by FIRST.org. It estimates the likelihood a CVE will be exploited in production environments within the next 30 days, derived from real-world threat intelligence signals.
How urgent is this, really
GHSA-c9w5-rwh3-7pm9 plotted by exploitation likelihood (EPSS) against impact (CVSS). The shaded corner — EPSS 50%+ and CVSS 7.0+ — is where this CVE doesn't sit, though severity or exploitability alone can still warrant action.
Where this sits among everything scored
Of 377,166 CVEs with a current EPSS score, this one falls in the < 10% band (highlighted). Real counts from FIRST.org, not a sample — log-scaled since the landscape is heavily right-skewed.
Real-World Exposure
codeigniter4/frameworkReal-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects Packagist packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.
Description
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 usingdeleteBatch(). - For user-controlled conditions, use a normal
delete()with Query Builder binds instead ofdeleteBatch(). - Where possible, express required matching values through the batch data and
onConstraint()rather than as separate user-controlledwhere()clauses.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐘Packagist | codeigniter4/framework | ≥ 4.3.0&&< 4.7.4 | 4.7.4composer require codeigniter4/framework:^4.7.4 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for codeigniter4/framework, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update codeigniter4/framework to 4.7.4 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-c9w5-rwh3-7pm9 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.
How O3 protects you
O3 Security's impact-aware SCA analyses which vulnerable code paths your application actually calls, so a match like GHSA-c9w5-rwh3-7pm9 can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to GHSA-c9w5-rwh3-7pm9. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GHSA-c9w5-rwh3-7pm9 in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds GHSA-c9w5-rwh3-7pm9 across Packagist dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.