CVE-2020-36157 : Vulnerability Insights and Analysis

An issue was discovered in the Ultimate Member plugin before 2.1.12 for WordPress, aka Unauthenticated Privilege Escalation via User Roles.

Understanding CVE-2020-36157

This CVE involves a vulnerability in the Ultimate Member plugin for WordPress that allows unauthenticated privilege escalation through user roles.

What is CVE-2020-36157?

The lack of filtering on the role parameter during the registration process enables an attacker to supply the role parameter with a WordPress capability, granting unauthorized privileges.

The Impact of CVE-2020-36157

The vulnerability has a CVSS base score of 10 (Critical) with high impacts on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. It requires no privileges for exploitation and has a low attack complexity.

Technical Details of CVE-2020-36157

The technical aspects of this CVE are as follows:

Vulnerability Description

Unauthenticated privilege escalation via user roles in the Ultimate Member plugin for WordPress.

Affected Systems and Versions

Ultimate Member plugin before version 2.1.12 for WordPress.

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can exploit the vulnerability by supplying the role parameter with unauthorized capabilities during the registration process.

Mitigation and Prevention

Protect your systems from CVE-2020-36157 with the following steps:

Immediate Steps to Take

Update Ultimate Member plugin to version 2.1.12 or newer.
Monitor user roles and capabilities to detect unauthorized changes.
Implement strong password policies and user authentication mechanisms.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly audit and review user roles and permissions.
Conduct security training for users to prevent social engineering attacks.

Patching and Updates

Stay informed about security updates for plugins and promptly apply patches to mitigate vulnerabilities.