CVE-2026-15448 Overview
CVE-2026-15448 is a SQL injection vulnerability in the Tickera – Sell Tickets & Manage Events plugin for WordPress. The flaw affects all versions up to and including 3.6.0.1 and resides in the handling of the tc_order_status_filter parameter. The plugin fails to escape user-supplied input and does not sufficiently prepare the underlying SQL query [CWE-89]. Authenticated attackers with staff-level access or higher can append arbitrary SQL statements to existing queries. Successful exploitation allows extraction of sensitive information from the WordPress database, including order data, customer records, and other stored content.
Critical Impact
Authenticated staff-level users can extract sensitive database contents by injecting SQL through the tc_order_status_filter parameter in vulnerable Tickera plugin installations.
Affected Products
- Tickera – Sell Tickets & Manage Events plugin for WordPress
- All versions up to and including 3.6.0.1
- WordPress sites using the better-attendees-and-tickets addon component
Discovery Timeline
- 2026-07-23 - CVE CVE-2026-15448 published to NVD
- 2026-07-23 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2026-15448
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability exists in the better-attendees-and-tickets addon of the Tickera plugin, specifically in the file includes/addons/better-attendees-and-tickets/index.php. According to the WordPress Plugin Code Review, the affected code paths at lines 238, 252, and 260 consume the tc_order_status_filter request parameter and interpolate it into SQL queries without preparation. Because the plugin neither escapes the value nor binds it as a parameterized input via $wpdb->prepare(), the attacker-controlled string is treated as SQL syntax. This is a generic SQL injection where injected clauses can extend the query with UNION SELECT operations to retrieve rows from arbitrary tables.
Root Cause
The root cause is insufficient sanitization of the tc_order_status_filter parameter combined with unsafe SQL string concatenation. The plugin passes the raw filter value into a WordPress database query builder call without invoking esc_sql(), sanitize_text_field(), or a prepared statement placeholder such as %s. Any input containing SQL metacharacters is executed verbatim by MySQL.
Attack Vector
Exploitation requires an authenticated session with staff-level privileges or higher within the WordPress site running Tickera. The attacker submits a crafted tc_order_status_filter parameter to the affected admin-side endpoint. Because the underlying query is not parameterized, the payload can terminate the intended filter clause and append a subquery. Details of the exploitation surface are documented in the Wordfence Vulnerability Analysis.
No verified proof-of-concept code has been published. Refer to the linked code review and changeset for exact injection points.
Detection Methods for CVE-2026-15448
Indicators of Compromise
- HTTP requests containing SQL metacharacters such as UNION, SELECT, --, or SLEEP( in the tc_order_status_filter query string or POST body parameter.
- Unusually long or URL-encoded values for tc_order_status_filter observed in web server access logs.
- WordPress database error entries in debug.log referencing the better-attendees-and-tickets addon or malformed SQL syntax.
- Staff-role accounts accessing the Tickera order management pages from unfamiliar IP addresses or at anomalous times.
Detection Strategies
- Inspect web application firewall (WAF) logs for signatures matching SQL injection patterns targeting the tc_order_status_filter parameter.
- Enable MySQL general query logging temporarily and search for queries against the Tickera addon tables that contain UNION or subselects.
- Review WordPress audit trails to correlate staff-level authentication events with requests to Tickera administration endpoints.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Alert on any request where the tc_order_status_filter value length exceeds a reasonable baseline (e.g., 32 characters) or contains encoded SQL keywords.
- Track outbound data volume from the WordPress host to detect bulk exfiltration following successful injection.
- Monitor for unexpected privilege changes or new administrator accounts created after suspicious Tickera admin activity.
How to Mitigate CVE-2026-15448
Immediate Actions Required
- Upgrade the Tickera – Sell Tickets & Manage Events plugin to a version later than 3.6.0.1 that includes the fix documented in the WordPress Plugin Changeset Summary.
- Audit all WordPress user accounts and revoke staff-level or higher privileges that are no longer required.
- Rotate WordPress administrator passwords and database credentials if suspicious activity is detected in logs.
- Review recent database queries and Tickera order exports for signs of unauthorized data access.
Patch Information
The vendor addressed the vulnerability in a subsequent release of the Tickera plugin. The corrective changeset introduces proper query preparation for the tc_order_status_filter parameter. Site administrators should update the plugin through the WordPress admin dashboard or via WP-CLI using wp plugin update tickera-event-ticketing-system.
Workarounds
- Deploy a web application firewall rule that blocks or sanitizes requests containing SQL metacharacters in the tc_order_status_filter parameter until patching is possible.
- Temporarily restrict access to the Tickera administration interface using IP allowlists at the web server or reverse proxy layer.
- Reduce the number of users with staff-level or higher roles to limit the pool of accounts that can reach the vulnerable endpoint.
# Configuration example: update the Tickera plugin using WP-CLI
wp plugin update tickera-event-ticketing-system --path=/var/www/html
wp plugin get tickera-event-ticketing-system --field=version
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
