CVE-2020-36698

Cleantalk Security & Malware Scan broken access control

8.8 HIGHPublic exploitEPSS 0.96%

Published20 Oct 2023

Description

The Security & Malware scan by CleanTalk plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized user interaction in versions up to, and including, 2.50. This is due to missing capability checks on several AJAX actions and nonce disclosure in the source page of the administrative dashboard. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with subscriber-level permissions and above, to call functions and delete and/or upload files.

CVSS 3.1 breakdown

Attack vectorNetwork

Attack complexityLow

Privileges requiredLow

User interactionNone

ScopeUnchanged

ConfidentialityHigh

IntegrityHigh

AvailabilityHigh

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

Affected products

Cleantalk Security & Malware Scan< 2.51

Remediation

Fixed in

Cleantalk Security & Malware Scan≥ 2.51

References

https://blog.nintechnet.com/multiple-vulnerabilities-fixed-in-security-malware-scan-by-cleantalk-plugin/ExploitThird Party Advisory
https://wpscan.com/vulnerability/23960f42-dfc1-4951-9169-02d889283f01Third Party Advisory
https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/0fb9b039-eb04-4c27-89eb-1932c9c31962?source=cveThird Party Advisory

Related CVEs

Recent high-severity vulnerabilities sharing a weakness type.

Frequently asked

Is CVE-2020-36698 being actively exploited?

CVE-2020-36698 is not in the CISA KEV catalog. A public exploit reference exists, so treat it as exploitable. Its EPSS exploit probability is 0.96%.

How severe is CVE-2020-36698?

CVE-2020-36698 has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.8, rated high. EPSS estimates a 0.96% probability of exploitation.

Which products are affected by CVE-2020-36698?

Affected products include Cleantalk Security & Malware Scan.

How do I fix CVE-2020-36698?

Upgrade affected software to a fixed version, for example Cleantalk Security & Malware Scan 2.51 or later, then confirm no affected versions remain in your inventory.

How Secuno handles this

Secuno correlates vulnerabilities like CVE-2020-36698 against the real software inventory on every managed device, every day. Rather than a static severity, each match is scored in context: exploit availability, EPSS, the asset's exposure, and business criticality decide where it lands in the queue. If an affected version is present anywhere across your portfolio, it surfaces automatically with a prioritised remediation path.

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Data from the NVD, CISA KEV catalog and FIRST EPSS. CVSS 3.1 base score shown where available.