CVE-2020-35012

Events Manager <= 5.9.7.3 - Admin+ SQL Injection

2020-06-07 00:00

Strategic Overview

Status: Patched in 5.9.8
Affected Plugin: Events Manager – Calendar, Bookings, Tickets, and more!
Affected Version: <= 5.9.7.3
CVSS: 7.2High
Weakness type: CWE-89 · Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection')
CVE: CVE-2020-35012

View all Events Manager – Calendar, Bookings, Tickets, and more! vulnerabilities

At a glance

CVE-2020-35012 is a high-severity Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection') vulnerability in the Events Manager WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 5.9.7.3. It carries a CVSS score of 7.2 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity; high confidentiality, integrity, availability impact). The issue is fixed in version 5.9.8; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed June 2020, reported by Antony Garand.

Vulnerability Overview

The Events Manager WordPress plugin before 5.9.8 does not sanitise and escape a parameter before using it in a SQL statement, leading to an SQL Injection

Technical Analysis

The vector marks this flaw as remotely reachable over the network, with low attack complexity — no special timing or configuration is needed, and no interaction from a victim user. A successful exploit has high impact on confidentiality, integrity, availability — full site compromise territory.

CWE-89: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection')

Reaching this weakness in Events Manager <= 5.9.7.3 takes a caller who can reach the endpoint. SQL injection happens when request data is concatenated into a query instead of being bound as a parameter, letting an attacker change the structure of the statement rather than just its values.

A working injection can read any table the database user can see, which on a WordPress install means user records, password hashes and session or API secrets stored in options. For Events Manager the fix is 5.9.8: builds <= 5.9.7.3 are affected, anything from 5.9.8 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 5.9.8, or a newer patched version

How does WordSec protect against this?

The attempt arrives as an ordinary request to Events Manager: WordSec's web application firewall inspects request payloads before WordPress loads them. None of that substitutes for the fix: Events Manager 5.9.8 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

Firewall
Alerts

External References

https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-35012 https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/a0ccb39b-faf1-428b-bfa7-c30d402bd34d https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-35012

Related records

Same weakness class

Other vulnerabilities in Events Manager – Calendar, Bookings, Tickets, and more!

CVSS Vector

7.2

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Base

Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges RequiredHigh
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
ConfidentialityHigh
IntegrityHigh
AvailabilityHigh

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