CVE-2026-42662 Overview
CVE-2026-42662 is an unauthenticated bypass vulnerability affecting the Event Tickets plugin for WordPress in versions up to and including 5.27.5. The flaw is categorized under [CWE-290] Authentication Bypass by Spoofing, indicating that an attacker can circumvent authentication or authorization controls without valid credentials. The vulnerability is exploitable over the network with low attack complexity and requires no user interaction. Successful exploitation results in limited integrity and availability impact on affected WordPress installations running the plugin.
Critical Impact
Remote attackers can bypass authentication controls in the Event Tickets WordPress plugin without credentials, affecting ticket data integrity and site availability.
Affected Products
- Event Tickets WordPress plugin versions <= 5.27.5
- WordPress sites with the Event Tickets plugin installed and enabled
- Any WordPress deployment running vulnerable plugin versions regardless of underlying hosting environment
Discovery Timeline
- 2026-06-15 - CVE-2026-42662 published to the National Vulnerability Database
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
- 2026-06-18 - EPSS score recorded at 0.384% (percentile 30.112)
Technical Details for CVE-2026-42662
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability resides in the Event Tickets plugin, a widely deployed WordPress extension used to sell and manage event tickets. The flaw allows unauthenticated attackers to bypass intended authentication or authorization checks within the plugin. Because the attack vector is network-based and requires no privileges or user interaction, attackers can target exposed WordPress sites directly over HTTP or HTTPS.
The vulnerability is mapped to [CWE-290], which describes weaknesses where an attacker spoofs identity or bypasses verification routines. In practice, this class of flaw typically arises when a plugin relies on client-controlled values, weak nonce validation, or missing capability checks to gate access to sensitive functionality. Successful exploitation grants the attacker limited write access to plugin-controlled data and may degrade service availability.
Root Cause
The root cause is an authentication bypass condition within the Event Tickets plugin code path. According to the Patchstack Vulnerability Report, the plugin fails to properly verify the identity or authorization of requests before performing privileged actions. This omission permits anonymous clients to invoke functionality intended only for authenticated users.
Attack Vector
An attacker sends crafted HTTP requests directly to the vulnerable plugin endpoint on a target WordPress site. Because no authentication or user interaction is required, the attack can be automated and conducted at scale against internet-exposed WordPress installations. The impact is limited to integrity and availability of plugin-managed resources, with no direct confidentiality exposure per the CVSS vector. Technical exploitation details are described in the referenced Patchstack advisory.
Detection Methods for CVE-2026-42662
Indicators of Compromise
- Unauthenticated HTTP requests targeting Event Tickets plugin endpoints under /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php or REST routes registered by the plugin
- Unexpected modifications to ticket records, attendee data, or event configurations created from anonymous sessions
- Spikes in anonymous POST requests to plugin URIs from a small number of source IPs
Detection Strategies
- Inventory all WordPress sites and identify installations running Event Tickets plugin version 5.27.5 or earlier
- Review web server access logs for anomalous request patterns directed at plugin endpoints with missing or invalid authentication cookies
- Correlate WordPress audit logs with database changes to ticket and order tables for unauthorized modifications
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable verbose logging on WordPress and forward events to a centralized log analytics platform for retention and search
- Deploy a web application firewall with virtual patching rules targeting WordPress plugin authentication bypass patterns
- Alert on creation or modification of ticket and order records by unauthenticated sessions
How to Mitigate CVE-2026-42662
Immediate Actions Required
- Upgrade the Event Tickets plugin to a version released after 5.27.5 that addresses CVE-2026-42662
- Audit existing ticket, attendee, and order data for unauthorized changes introduced prior to patching
- Restrict administrative access to WordPress sites and rotate any credentials that may have been exposed during the vulnerable window
Patch Information
Refer to the Patchstack Vulnerability Report for vendor patch availability and fixed version details. Apply the vendor-supplied update through the WordPress plugin management interface or by deploying the updated package via your standard configuration management workflow.
Workarounds
- Disable the Event Tickets plugin until the patched version can be deployed if immediate upgrade is not feasible
- Block external access to plugin-specific REST and AJAX endpoints at the web application firewall layer
- Restrict access to WordPress administrative and plugin endpoints to known IP ranges where operationally possible
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
