CVE-2020-36720

Kali Forms <= 2.1.1 - Missing Authorization to Settings Update

2020-08-21 00:00

Strategic Overview

Status: Patched in 2.1.2
Affected Plugin: Kali Forms — Contact Form & Drag-and-Drop Builder
Affected Version: < 2.1.2
CVSS: 7.1High
Weakness type: CWE-862 · Missing Authorization
CVE: CVE-2020-36720

View all Kali Forms — Contact Form & Drag-and-Drop Builder vulnerabilities

At a glance

CVE-2020-36720 is a high-severity Missing Authorization vulnerability in the Kali Forms WordPress plugin, affecting versions < 2.1.2. It carries a CVSS score of 7.1 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity; high confidentiality impact). The root cause is a missing authorization check on a reachable function. The issue is fixed in version 2.1.2; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed August 2020, reported by Jerome Bruandet.

Vulnerability Overview

The Kali Forms plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Authenticated Options Change in versions up to, and including, 2.1.1. This is due to the update_option lacking proper authentication checks. This makes it possible for any authenticated attacker to change (or delete) the plugin's settings.

Technical Analysis

The vector marks this flaw as remotely reachable over the network, with low attack complexity — no special timing or configuration is needed, and no interaction from a victim user. A successful exploit has high impact on confidentiality.

CWE-862: Missing Authorization

Reaching this weakness in Kali Forms < 2.1.2 takes a caller who can reach the endpoint. A missing authorization check means a function is reachable by anyone who can reach the endpoint, because the code never asks whether the caller is allowed to perform the action.

Any user who can reach the endpoint gets to run an action reserved for higher-privileged roles, from reading protected data to changing settings or content. For Kali Forms the fix is 2.1.2: builds < 2.1.2 are affected, anything from 2.1.2 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 2.1.2, or a newer patched version

How does WordSec protect against this?

Because it turns on account access, WordSec's login security is the relevant layer: role-based two-factor, captcha and brute-force limits raise the cost of getting the account this needs. None of that substitutes for the fix: Kali Forms 2.1.2 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

Login Security
Alerts

External References

https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-36720 https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/9ed8e24d-6bd0-4638-9031-997ce2228fad https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-36720

Related records

Same weakness class

Other vulnerabilities in Kali Forms — Contact Form & Drag-and-Drop Builder

CVSS Vector

7.1

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

Base

Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges RequiredLow
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
ConfidentialityHigh
IntegrityLow
AvailabilityNone

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