Question 1

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

Accepted Answer

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.

Question 2

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

Accepted Answer

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.

Question 3

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

Accepted Answer

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.

Question 4

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

Accepted Answer

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.

Question 5

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

Accepted Answer

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.

Question 6

How serious is a CVSS rating of 4.3?

Accepted Answer

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.

Question 7

Why weren’t users notified of this vulnerability sooner?

Accepted Answer

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.

Question 8

What security precautions should I enable on my WordPress site?

Accepted Answer

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.

Question 9

Can my web host help with WordPress security?

Accepted Answer

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.

Question 10

Is there a guide for properly setting WordPress permissions?

Accepted Answer

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.

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