# CVE-2026-97285: The Events Calendar broken access control in contributor role

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-97285-contributor-broken-access-control-in-the-events-calendar-6-17-5  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-09-30. Updated: 2026-09-30  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-97285 · Severity: medium · CVSS 5.4 · Published 2026-09-30

The Events Calendar is a WordPress plugin that allows websites to manage and display events. A broken access control vulnerability allows users with the Contributor role to access pages or perform actions they should not be permitted, potentially exposing unauthorized data or enabling unintended modifications.

Technologies: [StellarWP The Events Calendar](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/the-events-calendar). Vendors: [StellarWP](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/stellarwp).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-97285 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-97285 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-97285?** Medium severity, with a CVSS score of 5.4, published 30 September 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** StellarWP The Events Calendar <=6.17.5.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-97285?** A patch was published on 2026-09-30: Fixed in version 6.17.5.1 Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**How is CVE-2026-97285 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in a web application.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-97285?** Check whether you run StellarWP The Events Calendar at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## Technical details

The vulnerability is a broken access control issue in The Events Calendar plugin where insufficient permission checks allow Contributor-level users to perform actions or access resources beyond their intended privileges. The vulnerability requires an authenticated attacker with Contributor role access and affects versions up to 6.17.5; a patch is available in version 6.17.5.1 and later.

## Affected products

- StellarWP The Events Calendar <=6.17.5

## Timeline

- 2026-09-30: disclosed
- 2026-09-30: patched: Fixed in version 6.17.5.1

## References

- [https://wordpress.org/plugins](https://wordpress.org/plugins)
- [https://patchstack.com/database/wordpress/plugin/the-events-calendar/vulnerability/wordpress-the-events-calendar-plugin-6-17-5-broken-access-control-vulnerability?_s_id=cve](https://patchstack.com/database/wordpress/plugin/the-events-calendar/vulnerability/wordpress-the-events-calendar-plugin-6-17-5-broken-access-control-vulnerability?_s_id=cve)

## Related threats

- [StellarWP The Events Calendar cross-site scripting in content](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-123469-improper-neutralization-of-script-related-html-tags-in-a-web)
- [StellarWP The Events Calendar stored cross-site scripting](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-123464-improper-neutralization-of-input-during-web-page-generation)
- [StellarWP The Events Calendar broken access control](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-119367-missing-authorization-vulnerability-in-liquid-web-stellarwp-the)
- [StellarWP The Events Calendar stored XSS in plugin](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-119369-improper-neutralization-of-input-during-web-page-generation)
- [StellarWP The Events Calendar stored cross-site scripting](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-119370-improper-neutralization-of-input-during-web-page-generation)