CVE-2020-36716

WP Activity Log <= 4.0.1 - Missing Authorization

2020-03-08 00:00
Jerome Bruandet

Strategic Overview

Status
Patched in 4.0.2
Affected Plugin
WP Activity Log
Affected Version
< 4.0.2
CVSS
7.3High
Weakness type
CWE-862 · Missing Authorization
CVE
CVE-2020-36716
View all WP Activity Log vulnerabilities

At a glance

CVE-2020-36716 is a high-severity Missing Authorization vulnerability in the WP Activity Log WordPress plugin, affecting versions < 4.0.2. It carries a CVSS score of 7.3 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity). Exploitation requires no authentication. The issue is fixed in version 4.0.2; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed March 2020, reported by Jerome Bruandet.

Vulnerability Overview

The WP Activity Log plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to authorization bypass due to a missing capability check on the setup_page function in versions up to, and including, 4.0.1. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to run the setup wizard (if it has not been run previously) and access plugin configuration options.

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 privileges on the target site, and no interaction from a victim user.

CWE-862: Missing Authorization

Reaching this weakness in WP Activity Log < 4.0.2 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 WP Activity Log the fix is 4.0.2: builds < 4.0.2 are affected, anything from 4.0.2 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 4.0.2, 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: WP Activity Log 4.0.2 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

  • Login Security
  • Alerts

External References

https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-36716https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/9d0a8be3-6630-4cf7-b6cb-cdc86b99acb3https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-36716

Related records

Vulnerability data © Defiant, Inc., provided under the Wordfence Intelligence T&C