What is CVE-2026-15963?

CVE-2026-15963 is Quiz and Survey Master (QSM) <= 11.2.1 - Authenticated (Contributor+) SQL Injection via 'randon_category' Quiz Option. The supplied enrichment data classifies it as Injection mapped to CWE-89 SQL Injection.

Which versions are affected?

Affected product and version evidence is listed in the product table above. Current public advisories should be checked for exact version scope before patch targeting is finalized.

Is there active exploitation?

Active exploitation is not confirmed from current sources for CVE-2026-15963. If exploitation is not confirmed from current sources, teams should document that status and continue monitoring KEV, vendor, and telemetry updates.

No. CVE-2026-15963 is not listed in CISA KEV in the supplied enrichment data. KEV status should be monitored because it can change after initial disclosure or after exploitation becomes publicly confirmed.

Is there a public exploit?

A public PoC is not confirmed from current sources for CVE-2026-15963. Public exploit or PoC availability should raise triage priority, especially for exposed or business-critical systems.

How can defenders detect it?

Start with web/proxy/WAF logs, application logs, network IDS/IPS, database audit logs where available. Look for vulnerability-class behavior, product errors, suspicious authentication events, exploit probes, and abnormal process activity based only on evidence that applies to the affected product.

How should teams prioritize it?

Prioritize CVE-2026-15963 using CVSS 6.5, EPSS 0%, KEV status, public PoC status, and asset exposure. Internet-facing, privileged, or business-critical deployments should be handled first.

Are workarounds available?

The supplied mitigation guidance says to apply vendor patches and restrict external exposure until fixed. Fixed-version evidence is listed in the mitigation section above.

Which threat actors are linked publicly?

No public threat actor linkage is confirmed from current sources. Do not attribute exploitation to a threat actor unless the source evidence explicitly supports that linkage.

What should be done in the next 24 hours?

Identify exposed assets running affected vendor/product/version combinations. Prioritize based on EPSS, PoC availability, and external exposure. Search available logs for exploit probes, errors, authentication anomalies, or suspicious child processes matching the vulnerability class. Open remediation tickets with affected assets, owners, evidence status, and detection coverage so decisions are traceable.

mediumInjection

CVE-2026-15963

CVE-2026-15963 — Quiz and Survey Master (QSM) <= 11.2.1 - Authenticated (Contributor+) SQL Injection via 'randon_category' Quiz Option

Q: Which versions are affected?

Affected product and version evidence is listed in the product table above. Current public advisories should be checked for exact version scope before patch targeting is finalized.

Q: Is there active exploitation?

Active exploitation is not confirmed from current sources for CVE-2026-15963. If exploitation is not confirmed from current sources, teams should document that status and continue monitoring KEV, vendor, and telemetry updates.

Q: Is it in CISA KEV?

No. CVE-2026-15963 is not listed in CISA KEV in the supplied enrichment data. KEV status should be monitored because it can change after initial disclosure or after exploitation becomes publicly confirmed.

Q: Is there a public exploit?

A public PoC is not confirmed from current sources for CVE-2026-15963. Public exploit or PoC availability should raise triage priority, especially for exposed or business-critical systems.

Q: How can defenders detect it?

Start with web/proxy/WAF logs, application logs, network IDS/IPS, database audit logs where available. Look for vulnerability-class behavior, product errors, suspicious authentication events, exploit probes, and abnormal process activity based only on evidence that applies to the affected product.

Q: How should teams prioritize it?

Prioritize CVE-2026-15963 using CVSS 6.5, EPSS 0%, KEV status, public PoC status, and asset exposure. Internet-facing, privileged, or business-critical deployments should be handled first.

Q: Are workarounds available?

The supplied mitigation guidance says to apply vendor patches and restrict external exposure until fixed. Fixed-version evidence is listed in the mitigation section above.

Q: Which threat actors are linked publicly?

No public threat actor linkage is confirmed from current sources. Do not attribute exploitation to a threat actor unless the source evidence explicitly supports that linkage.

Q: What should be done in the next 24 hours?

Identify exposed assets running affected vendor/product/version combinations. Prioritize based on EPSS, PoC availability, and external exposure. Search available logs for exploit probes, errors, authentication anomalies, or suspicious child processes matching the vulnerability class. Open remediation tickets with affected assets, owners, evidence status, and detection coverage so decisions are traceable.

The Quiz and Survey Master (QSM) – Easy Quiz and Survey Maker plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to generic SQL Injection via 'randon_category' Quiz Option in all versions up to, and including, 11.2.1 due to insufficient escaping on the user supplied parameter and lack of sufficient preparation on the existing SQL query. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with custom-level access and above, to append additional SQL queries into already existing queries that can be used to extract sensitive information from the database.

Published Aug 16, 2026Updated Aug 16, 2026Sources: NVD, expresstech (CNA), GitHub, GitHub Security Advisory, SOCRadar CTI

Triage

Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the scoring sources call it.

Exploitation

Unreported

no source claims exploitation

EPSS

ahead of 0% of scored CVEs

Affects

expresstech

Quiz and Survey Master (QSM) – Quiz Maker & Survey Maker

CVSS base

6.5

medium

Remediation

The vendor's own words where we have them.

Upgrade Quiz and Survey Master (QSM) – Quiz Maker & Survey Maker to a fixed release. Apply vendor patches per advisory and restrict external exposure of the affected component until patched.

First 24 hours

Ordered from the record's own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found.

Identify exposed assets running affected vendor/product/version combinations.
Prioritize based on EPSS, PoC availability, and external exposure.
Search available logs for exploit probes, errors, authentication anomalies, or suspicious child processes matching the vulnerability class.

Affected scope

Vendor, product and version as the advisories word them.

Vendor	Product	Versions	Status
expresstech	Quiz and Survey Master (QSM) – Quiz Maker & Survey Maker	0 to <= 11.2.1	Vulnerable

Attack characteristics

The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.

Availability

None

Confidentiality

High

Integrity

None

Scope

Unchanged

Attack Complexity

Low

Attack Vector

Network

Privileges Req

Low

User Interaction

None

Every base score collected

Sources score independently and disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.

Score	Version	Severity	Expl.	Impact	Source
6.5	CVSS 3.1	medium	2.8	3.6	NVD, expresstech (CNA), GHSA

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

What this weakness leads to

MITRE's own consequences and mitigations for the weakness class — the authority's wording, not guidance derived from the CVSS vector.

MITRE

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

Read Application Data
Bypass Protection Mechanism
Modify Application Data

Mitigation: Use a vetted library or framework that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid. For example, consider using persistence layers such as Hibernate or Enterprise Java Beans, which can provide significant protection against SQL injection if used properly.

Weakness & attack patterns

CWE-89SQL Injection

Attack patterns reported against this CVE. The ATT&CK techniques below are inferred from its weakness class.

CAPEC-470 · Expanding Control over the Operating System from the DatabaseCAPEC-109 · Object Relational Mapping InjectionCAPEC-110 · SQL Injection through SOAP Parameter TamperingCAPEC-7 · Blind SQL InjectionCAPEC-108 · Command Line Execution through SQL InjectionCAPEC-66 · SQL Injection

Detection

Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not rules we have tested.

Prioritize edge telemetry for network-reachable Quiz and Survey Master (QSM) – Quiz Maker & Survey Maker.

web/proxy/WAF logsapplication logsnetwork IDS/IPSdatabase audit logs

Timeline

What happened to this CVE, newest first — with the readings a source repeats on a schedule counted underneath rather than listed.

2026
Added · CVSS 3.1 6.5 (AV:N)
Aug 16, 2026 · NVD
Initial · CVE published
Aug 16, 2026 · NVD
Added · GHSA-v3wq-3qq4-9m4j published (medium)
Aug 16, 2026 · GitHub Security Advisory
Reported · Disclosed
Aug 15, 2026 · expresstech

Source activity

Readings a source repeats on a schedule, counted rather than listed.

1×CVE modified by NIST, Modified, LinkAug 16, 2026 · SOCRadar CTI

References

8 on the record

plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/quiz-master-next/tags/11.2.1/php/classes/class-qsm-fields.php#L77
Vendor Advisory
plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/quiz-master-next/tags/11.2.1/php/classes/class-qsm-install.php#L271
Vendor Advisory
plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/quiz-master-next/tags/11.2.1/renderer/frontend/class-qsm-render-pagination.php#L390
Vendor Advisory
plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/quiz-master-next/tags/11.2.1/renderer/frontend/class-qsm-render-pagination.php#L392
Vendor Advisory
plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset?reponame=&old=3612474%40quiz-master-next&new=3612474%40quiz-master-next
Vendor Advisory
www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/b1de31ae-4095-4863-9971-9de45c36f5a0?source=cve
Vendor Advisory, NIST
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-15963
NVD
github.com/advisories/GHSA-v3wq-3qq4-9m4j
Exploit, Third Party Advisory

Elsewhere on this site

expresstechevery CVE for this vendor
Injectionsame class
CWE-89other pages naming this weakness

Not in any source we poll

Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.

No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.

Answered from this record1

What should defenders know first?

CVE-2026-15963 is Quiz and Survey Master (QSM) <= 11.2.1 - Authenticated (Contributor+) SQL Injection via 'randon_category' Quiz Option, a medium vulnerability affecting Quiz and Survey Master (QSM) – Quiz Maker & Survey Maker from expresstech. The current evidence does not list it in CISA KEV, and the exploit status is: Active exploitation is not confirmed from current sources for CVE-2026-15963. Public exploit evidence is: A public PoC is not confirmed from current sources for CVE-2026-15963. The affected-version evidence is listed in the key facts and affected products tables. Defenders should first verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run those versions, then apply vendor patches or mitigations, restrict reachable attack surface, and preserve logs for detection review. CVSS 6.5 describes technical severity, while EPSS 0% helps estimate near-term exploit likelihood; neither replaces asset context. Unknown fields should remain explicit in tickets, and threat actor, IOC, victimology, or payload claims should not be added unless a cited source supports them. Monitor CISA KEV, vendor advisories, NVD changes, public PoC repositories, and internal telemetry for update triggers.