CVE-2020-36157

Name: CVE-2020-36157
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2021-01-04T18:15:13.777+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

CRITICALCVSS 9.8/10EPSS 2.96%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2020-36157 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 Roles. Due to the lack of filtering on the role parameter that could be supplied during the registration process, an attacker could supply the role parameter with a WordPress capability (or any custom Ultimate Member role) and effectively be granted those privileges.. EPSS estimates a 2.96% 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 Roles. Due to the lack of filtering on the role parameter that could be supplied during the registration process, an attacker could supply the role parameter with a WordPress capability (or any custom Ultimate Member role) and effectively be granted those privileges.

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

2.96%

85.5th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

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/33f059c5-58e5-44b9-bb27-793c3cedef3bExploit, 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/33f059c5-58e5-44b9-bb27-793c3cedef3bExploit, 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-2020-36157?

How severe is CVE-2020-36157?

CVE-2020-36157 has a CVSS score of 9.8/10 (CRITICAL severity). The EPSS model estimates a 2.96% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2020-36157?

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-2020-36157?

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

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST