Event Tickets and Registration Vulnerability – Missing Authorization – CVE-2024-1053 | WordPress Plugin Vulnerability Report

Q: Is my site vulnerable to this issue if I'm using Event Tickets and Registration?

Is my site vulnerable to this issue if I'm using Event Tickets and Registration? If you are using a version up to and including 5.8.1, then yes your site is vulnerable. The Missing Authorization issue allows some users to access attendee data without permission. It was fixed in version 5.8.2, so be sure you have updated.

Q: How can I tell if my site was compromised by this vulnerability?

How can I tell if my site was compromised by this vulnerability? Carefully check your user roles and activity logs for signs of unauthorized access. Specifically look for lower level users suddenly gaining capabilities they should not have. Also search logs for successful email actions targeting attendee lists. Unfortunately determining impact can be difficult if the attacker covers their tracks.

Q: Why wasn’t this caught during routine auditing of the plugin’s code?

Why wasn’t this caught during routine auditing of the plugin’s code? While efforts are made to audit plugins, it is impossible to catch every potential vulnerability. Many issues are only discovered once a plugin is in widespread use in diverse environments. The key is the vendor response to quickly patch issues.

Q: Is using alternatives to Event Tickets and Registration enough to protect my site?

Is using alternatives to Event Tickets and Registration enough to protect my site? Switching plugins may provide additional security from unpatched issues in a vulnerable plugin. However, all plugins have the potential for vulnerabilities. The best approach is enabling auto updates wherever possible, performing ongoing monitoring of permissions and user activities, and having a backup plan in case your site is compromised.

Q: What could happen if my site was successfully attacked with this vulnerability?

What could happen if my site was successfully attacked with this vulnerability? Attackers could potentially obtain all attendee names and email addresses without permission. This could result in phishing attacks targeting those users with fake tickets or events. At a minimum it erodes trust and confidence in your event registration system and brand reputation.

Q: How serious is a CVSS rating of 4.3?

How serious is a CVSS rating of 4.3? The Common Vulnerability Scoring System rates issues from 1 to 10 by severity. A score of 4.3 is considered Medium severity - fairly serious but not critical. It means the vulnerability can be complex to exploit but allows unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information.

Q: Why weren’t users notified of this vulnerability sooner?

Why weren’t users notified of this vulnerability sooner? Standard responsible disclosure practices give vendors reasonable time to patch an issue before public release. This prevents attackers jumping on vulnerabilities before users have fixes available. In this case users were notified very shortly after the patched release.

Q: What security precautions should I enable on my WordPress site?

What security precautions should I enable on my WordPress site? At minimum, enable auto updates on WordPress core, themes and plugins so security fixes occur automatically in the background. Also restrict themes and plugins to reputable sources with frequent updates and conduct ongoing monitoring of permissions and user activities in case an issue arises.

Q: Can my web host help with WordPress security?

Can my web host help with WordPress security? Managed WordPress hosts often have security features built-in like auto updates, threat monitoring, backups and one-click restores. Choose a host with specialized WordPress expertise and support. However you still need to be thoughtful about plugin selection and user roles on your site.

Q: Is there a guide for properly setting WordPress permissions?

Is there a guide for properly setting WordPress permissions? Yes, the WordPress documentation includes very useful guides to managing users, roles and permissions effectively. Additionally many managed hosts have permissions best practices in their WordPress knowledge bases to follow. Restricting access to only what is needed for each user or role is wise.

By Your WP Guy | February 21, 2024

Plugin Name: Event Tickets and Registration

Key Information:

Software Type: Plugin
Software Slug: event-tickets
Software Status: Active
Software Author: theeventscalendar
Software Downloads: 3,388,630
Active Installs: 80,000
Last Updated: February 21, 2024
Patched Versions: 5.8.2
Affected Versions: <= 5.8.1

Vulnerability Details:

Name: Event Tickets and Registration <= 5.8.1 - Missing Authorization
Title: Missing Authorization
Type: Improper Access Control
CVE: CVE-2024-1053
CVSS Score: 4.3 (Medium)
Publicly Published: February 21, 2024
Researcher: Muhammad Daffa
Description: The Event Tickets and Registration plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized access of data due to a missing capability check on the 'email' action in all versions up to, and including, 5.8.1. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with contributor-level access and above, to email the attendees list to themselves.

Summary:

The Event Tickets and Registration plugin for WordPress has a vulnerability in versions up to and including 5.8.1 that allows authenticated users with contributor-level access or higher to improperly access attendee data. This vulnerability has been patched in version 5.8.2.

Detailed Overview:

The Event Tickets and Registration plugin failed to check user capabilities on the 'email' action, allowing authenticated users with contributor access or higher to email the attendee list to themselves without authorization. This exposes private attendee information like names and email addresses. The vulnerability received a CVSS score of 4.3 (Medium) and was publicly disclosed by the researcher Muhammad Daffa on February 21, 2024. Users are advised to update to version 5.8.2, which properly restricts access to this data based on user roles.

Advice for Users:

Immediate Action: Update to version 5.8.2 or higher immediately.
Check for Signs of Compromise: Review user roles and activity logs to look for unauthorized access.
Consider Alternatives: While an update is recommended, you could also switch to alternative event management plugins as a precaution.
Stay Updated: Enable automatic updates on all plugins to get security fixes right away.

Conclusion:

The developer addressed this vulnerability quickly by restricting access in the latest release. Users should install version 5.8.2 immediately to prevent unauthorized exposure of attendee data. As always, enabling automatic updates is the best way to stay secure.

References:

https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/wordpress-plugins/event-tickets

https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/wordpress-plugins/event-tickets/event-tickets-and-registration-581-missing-authorization

Detailed Report:

Keeping your WordPress website secure should be a top priority – after all, you don't want your site compromised or your users' data exposed. Unfortunately, vulnerabilities in themes, plugins, and WordPress core are discovered frequently, leaving outdated websites at risk of attack.

Case in point: a recently disclosed vulnerability called "Missing Authorization" in the popular Event Tickets and Registration plugin. This plugin is active on over 80,000 WordPress sites, allowing event organizers to easily manage ticketing and registrations.

The Missing Authorization Vulnerability

Versions up to and including 5.8.1 contain a vulnerability that allows authenticated users with contributor access or higher to improperly access sensitive attendee data. Specifically, they can email full attendee lists to themselves without authorization. This exposes private information like names and emails.

The vulnerability received a CVSS score of 4.3 (Medium severity) and was publicly disclosed on February 21, 2024 by the researcher Muhammad Daffa.

Impacts of the Vulnerability

If exploited, this vulnerability could lead to attendee or customer data being obtained by unauthorized parties. For event companies, this may represent a breach of trust and legal liability.

How to Remediate

The good news is the developer released Event Tickets and Registration version 5.8.2 on February 21st to address this vulnerability by restricting access to attendee data. Users should update immediately to close this security hole.

Previous Vulnerabilities

This is the 5th vulnerability found in Event Tickets and Registration since September 2019 that allowed improper data access, indicating systemic issues. This underscores the importance of prompt patching and upgrades.

Staying Secure

As a small business owner, you likely don’t have time to monitor and address vulnerabilities yourself. The easiest approach is enabling automatic background updates everywhere possible so patches occur seamlessly. For plugins, enable auto-updates one-by-one or use a manager plugin. You can also work with a managed service provider to handle updates and security monitoring.

As a business owner, you don't have time to constantly monitor for WordPress vulnerabilities like this. At Your WP Guy, we become your outsourced IT team to handle security, updates, maintenance and support. Let us fully audit your site and plugins to assess any impact from this issue. We'll update everything to patched versions so you can rest easy knowing your site is locked down.

Focus on your business goals while we focus on your WordPress site's security. Chat with us anytime during business hours, schedule a call or call 678-995-5169 for a free consultation on securing your online presence.