CVE-2020-36155

Name: CVE-2020-36155
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2021-01-04T18:15:13.62+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

CRITICALCVSS 9.8/10EPSS 8.97%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2020-36155 is a critical-severity vulnerability rated 9.8/10 on the CVSS scale. An issue was discovered in the Ultimate Member plugin before 2.1.12 for WordPress, aka Unauthenticated Privilege Escalation via User Meta. An attacker could supply an array parameter for sensitive metadata, such as the wp_capabilities user meta that defines a user's role. EPSS estimates a 8.97% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

An issue was discovered in the Ultimate Member plugin before 2.1.12 for WordPress, aka Unauthenticated Privilege Escalation via User Meta. An attacker could supply an array parameter for sensitive metadata, such as the wp_capabilities user meta that defines a user's role. During the registration process, submitted registration details were passed to the update_profile function, and any metadata was accepted, e.g., wp_capabilities[administrator] for Administrator access.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

9.8/10

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

EPSS Probability

8.97%

94.6th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-269

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Ultimatemember	Ultimate Member	< 2.1.12

References

https://wordpress.org/plugins/ultimate-member/#developersRelease Notes, Third Party Advisory
https://wpscan.com/vulnerability/cf13b0f8-5815-4d27-a276-5eff8985fc0bExploit, Third Party Advisory
https://www.wordfence.com/blog/2020/11/critical-privilege-escalation-vulnerabilities-affect-100k-sites-using-ultimate-member-plugin/Exploit, Third Party Advisory
https://wordpress.org/plugins/ultimate-member/#developersRelease Notes, Third Party Advisory
https://wpscan.com/vulnerability/cf13b0f8-5815-4d27-a276-5eff8985fc0bExploit, Third Party Advisory
https://www.wordfence.com/blog/2020/11/critical-privilege-escalation-vulnerabilities-affect-100k-sites-using-ultimate-member-plugin/Exploit, Third Party Advisory

Timeline

Published: Jan 4, 2021
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2020-36155?

How severe is CVE-2020-36155?

CVE-2020-36155 has a CVSS score of 9.8/10 (CRITICAL severity). The EPSS model estimates a 8.97% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2020-36155?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.

Are you affected by CVE-2020-36155?

Run a free Strix scan to check your systems for this vulnerability.

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST