CVE-2025-6970: Pixelite Events Manager SQLi Vulnerability

CVE-2025-6970 Overview

The Events Manager – Calendar, Bookings, Tickets, and more! plugin for WordPress contains a time-based SQL Injection vulnerability in the orderby parameter. This vulnerability affects all versions up to and including 7.0.3 due to insufficient escaping on the user-supplied parameter and lack of sufficient preparation on the existing SQL query. This flaw enables unauthenticated attackers to append additional SQL queries into already existing queries, potentially extracting sensitive information from the database.

Critical Impact

Unauthenticated attackers can exploit this SQL Injection vulnerability to extract sensitive information from the WordPress database, including user credentials, personal data, and other confidential information stored by the Events Manager plugin.

Affected Products

• Pixelite Events Manager plugin for WordPress versions up to and including 7.0.3
• WordPress installations using the Events Manager – Calendar, Bookings, Tickets, and more! plugin
• All WordPress sites with vulnerable versions of pixelite:events_manager

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-07-09 - CVE-2025-6970 published to NVD
• 2025-07-11 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-6970

Vulnerability Analysis

This SQL Injection vulnerability (CWE-89) exists in the Events Manager plugin's handling of the orderby parameter within the em-object.php file. The vulnerability is classified as a time-based blind SQL injection, meaning attackers can infer database contents by observing response time differences when injecting conditional SQL statements.

The root issue stems from the plugin directly incorporating user-supplied input into SQL queries without proper sanitization or parameterized query preparation. The orderby parameter, typically used to sort query results, is passed directly into the SQL query construction without adequate escaping, allowing malicious SQL code to be appended.

The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it can be exploited by unauthenticated users, requiring no prior authentication or special privileges to access the affected functionality. This significantly increases the attack surface and potential for mass exploitation.

Root Cause

The vulnerability originates from improper input validation in the em-object.php file at line 1060. The orderby parameter is incorporated into SQL queries without using WordPress's prepared statements ($wpdb->prepare()) or proper escaping functions. This allows attackers to break out of the intended query context and inject arbitrary SQL commands that execute with the database privileges of the WordPress application.

Attack Vector

The attack can be executed remotely over the network without requiring any authentication. An attacker crafts a malicious HTTP request containing SQL injection payloads in the orderby parameter. Since this is a time-based blind SQL injection, the attacker uses conditional statements with time delay functions (like SLEEP() in MySQL) to extract data one bit at a time by measuring response times.

The exploitation methodology typically involves:

1. Identifying the vulnerable endpoint that accepts the orderby parameter
2. Injecting time-based SQL payloads to confirm the vulnerability
3. Using automated tools to extract database contents through conditional time delays
4. Potentially escalating to extract WordPress user credentials, plugin configuration data, or event attendee information

For technical details on the vulnerable code, refer to the WordPress Events Manager Code and the Wordfence Vulnerability Report.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-6970

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual database query patterns containing SLEEP(), BENCHMARK(), or other time-delay SQL functions
• HTTP requests to Events Manager endpoints with abnormally long orderby parameter values
• Web server logs showing repeated requests with SQL syntax characters in URL parameters (', ", --, ;, UNION, SELECT)
• Unexplained increases in database response times or server CPU utilization

Detection Strategies

• Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect SQL injection patterns in the orderby parameter
• Monitor web server access logs for requests containing SQL keywords targeting Events Manager plugin endpoints
• Deploy database activity monitoring to detect unusual query patterns or unauthorized data access attempts
• Use vulnerability scanning tools to identify WordPress installations running Events Manager version 7.0.3 or earlier

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed logging on WordPress installations to capture all plugin-related HTTP requests
• Configure alerts for database queries with execution times exceeding normal thresholds
• Monitor for bulk data extraction patterns that may indicate successful exploitation
• Review WordPress audit logs for unauthorized access to event data or user information

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-6970

Immediate Actions Required

• Update the Events Manager plugin to a version newer than 7.0.3 immediately
• Review database logs for evidence of exploitation attempts
• Audit WordPress database for signs of data exfiltration
• Consider temporarily disabling the Events Manager plugin if immediate patching is not possible

Patch Information

Pixelite has released a security patch to address this vulnerability. The fix is available in the WordPress Events Manager Changeset. Site administrators should update to the latest version of the Events Manager plugin through the WordPress admin dashboard or by manually applying the changeset.

Workarounds

• Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with rules to block SQL injection attempts targeting the orderby parameter
• Implement server-level input filtering to sanitize requests before they reach WordPress
• Restrict access to WordPress admin and plugin endpoints using IP whitelisting where feasible
• Consider using security plugins like Wordfence to add additional protection layers while awaiting the patch

# Configuration example - WAF rule for ModSecurity to block SQL injection in orderby parameter
SecRule ARGS:orderby "@detectSQLi" \
    "id:1001,\
    phase:2,\
    deny,\
    status:403,\
    log,\
    msg:'SQL Injection attempt detected in orderby parameter - CVE-2025-6970'"