CVE-2026-13178 Overview
CVE-2026-13178 affects the Eventin WordPress plugin in versions before 4.1.16. The plugin fails to properly authorize order creation and accepts an attacker-supplied order status. Unauthenticated users can create orders and mark them as paid without completing any payment transaction. The flaw represents a broken access control issue combined with a business logic error in the order workflow. Site operators using Eventin for paid event ticketing face direct financial impact from fraudulent order creation.
Critical Impact
Unauthenticated attackers can generate orders flagged as paid, obtaining event tickets or paid resources without transferring funds.
Affected Products
- Eventin WordPress plugin versions before 4.1.16
- WordPress sites using Eventin for event ticketing and paid registration
- Any deployment exposing the plugin's order creation endpoint to unauthenticated traffic
Discovery Timeline
- 2026-07-30 - CVE-2026-13178 published to NVD
- 2026-07-30 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2026-13178
Vulnerability Analysis
The Eventin plugin exposes an order creation flow that lacks authorization checks on both the requester and the order status parameter. An unauthenticated HTTP request can reach the order handling logic and specify arbitrary status values, including statuses that represent a completed payment. The plugin trusts client-supplied input rather than deriving order status from a validated payment gateway callback. This combines missing authorization [CWE-862] with improper input validation on a security-sensitive field.
Root Cause
The root cause is a business logic flaw. The order creation endpoint does not verify that the caller is authenticated or authorized to submit orders. It also treats the order status as a client-controlled field rather than a server-managed value tied to a real payment confirmation. Payment status should be set only after gateway verification, never accepted from the request body.
Attack Vector
An attacker sends a crafted HTTP request to the plugin's order creation endpoint without authenticating. The request includes order details and a status value indicating payment completion. The plugin persists the order in the database as paid, which can trigger downstream ticket issuance, attendee registration, or fulfillment workflows. No user interaction and no valid session are required.
No verified proof-of-concept code is publicly available at this time. See the WPScan Vulnerability Report for technical details.
Detection Methods for CVE-2026-13178
Indicators of Compromise
- Orders in the Eventin database marked as paid without a matching transaction record in the payment gateway
- Unauthenticated POST requests to Eventin order creation REST endpoints in web server access logs
- Sudden increase in confirmed attendee registrations without corresponding gateway settlements
Detection Strategies
- Reconcile Eventin order records against payment gateway transaction logs to identify orders without matching charges
- Inspect web server logs for order creation requests originating from unauthenticated sessions or unusual IP ranges
- Alert on anomalous rates of new orders created within short time windows
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable verbose logging on WordPress REST API endpoints exposed by the Eventin plugin
- Forward WordPress and web server logs to a centralized SIEM for correlation with payment gateway events
- Monitor for order status transitions that bypass the standard pending-to-paid workflow
How to Mitigate CVE-2026-13178
Immediate Actions Required
- Update the Eventin WordPress plugin to version 4.1.16 or later on all affected sites
- Audit existing orders for entries flagged as paid that lack a matching payment gateway transaction
- Restrict administrative access to WordPress and rotate credentials if fraudulent orders are found
Patch Information
The vendor has released Eventin version 4.1.16, which addresses the authorization and input validation gaps in the order creation flow. Site administrators should apply the update through the WordPress plugin manager or by replacing plugin files with the patched release. Refer to the WPScan Vulnerability Report for advisory details.
Workarounds
- Disable the Eventin plugin until it can be updated to a fixed version
- Place a web application firewall rule in front of the plugin's order creation endpoint to block unauthenticated requests
- Manually reconcile all pending and paid orders against payment gateway records before fulfilling tickets
# Configuration example
# Update Eventin via WP-CLI to the fixed version
wp plugin update wp-event-solution --version=4.1.16
wp plugin list --name=wp-event-solution --fields=name,status,version
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
