CVE-2026-17166 in Event Booking Manager Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 07/29/2026
The Event Booking Manager for WooCommerce – Sell Tickets, Event Registration, RSVP & Event Calendar plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to authorization bypass in all versions up to, and including, 5.3.7. This is due to the plugin not properly verifying that a user is authorized to perform an action. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with contributor-level access and above, to modify site-wide payment settings — including WooCommerce payment enablement, cart redirect behavior, login requirements for checkout, confirmation page ID, and confirmed ticket statuses — that govern how all event bookings are processed.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/29/2026
The vulnerability identified in the Event Booking Manager for WooCommerce plugin represents a critical authorization bypass flaw that undermines the security model of WordPress sites relying on this component. This issue affects all versions up to and including 5.3.7, creating a persistent risk vector that allows attackers with relatively low privileges to execute high-impact modifications. The vulnerability stems from inadequate verification mechanisms within the plugin's access control system, specifically failing to properly validate user permissions before permitting administrative actions. The flaw manifests when authenticated users with contributor-level access or higher attempt to modify core payment configuration parameters that control the entire event booking workflow.
The technical implementation of this authorization bypass occurs at the plugin's core logic level where user role validation is insufficiently enforced during critical administrative operations. Attackers can exploit this weakness to manipulate fundamental payment processing configurations that govern how all event bookings are handled across the entire site. The affected parameters include WooCommerce payment enablement settings, cart redirect behavior configurations, checkout login requirements, confirmation page identification, and ticket status management. These settings form the backbone of the payment processing pipeline and when compromised, allow attackers to fundamentally alter how transactions are conducted for all event registrations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation as it enables attackers to manipulate core business processes that govern revenue collection and customer experience. An attacker with contributor-level access can essentially reconfigure the entire payment infrastructure, potentially disabling payment methods, redirecting customers away from checkout pages, or altering confirmation flows that could result in lost sales or fraudulent transactions. This vulnerability particularly affects sites that rely heavily on event booking systems for revenue generation, as it provides unauthorized modification capabilities that could be used to disrupt business operations or compromise financial data integrity.
This authorization bypass vulnerability aligns with CWE-284 which specifically addresses improper access control mechanisms and represents a classic case of insufficient authorization checks in web applications. The flaw demonstrates how WordPress plugins can introduce security gaps when they fail to properly implement role-based access controls, creating opportunities for attackers to escalate privileges within the application's administrative boundaries. From an attacker perspective this vulnerability maps directly to ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts and credential access, as it allows an attacker to leverage existing user credentials to perform unauthorized administrative actions without requiring additional privilege escalation techniques.
The recommended mitigation strategy involves immediate plugin updates to versions that address the authorization bypass flaw, ensuring all users are upgraded to patched releases. Organizations should also implement strict role-based access controls limiting contributor-level privileges to only those users who require such permissions for legitimate content management tasks. Additional defensive measures include monitoring for unauthorized modifications to payment settings and implementing network segmentation to limit exposure of administrative interfaces. Regular security audits of WordPress plugins and core system configurations remain essential practices for preventing similar authorization bypass scenarios from compromising site security and business operations.