CVE-2020-36838 (GCVE-0-2020-36838)
Vulnerability from cvelistv5 – Published: 2024-10-16 06:43 – Updated: 2026-04-08 16:46
VLAI
EPSS
VEX
Title
Facebook Chat Plugin <= 1.5 - Missing Capabilities Check
Summary
The Facebook Chat Plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to authorization bypass due to a missing capability check on the wp_ajax_update_options function in versions up to, and including, 1.5. This flaw makes it possible for low-level authenticated attackers to connect their own Facebook Messenger account to any site running the vulnerable plugin and engage in chats with site visitors on affected sites.
Severity
7.4 (High)
SSVC
Exploitation: none
Automatable: no
Technical Impact: partial
CISA Coordinator · CISA-ADP (v2.0.3)
Decision recorded 2024-10-16 19:13 UTC
CWE
- CWE-284 - Improper Access Control
Assigner
References
Impacted products
1 product
| Vendor | Product | Version | CPE status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Facebook Chat Plugin – Live Chat Plugin for WordPress |
Affected:
0 , < 1.6
(semver)
|
guessed |
{
"containers": {
"adp": [
{
"metrics": [
{
"other": {
"content": {
"id": "CVE-2020-36838",
"options": [
{
"Exploitation": "none"
},
{
"Automatable": "no"
},
{
"Technical Impact": "partial"
}
],
"role": "CISA Coordinator",
"timestamp": "2024-10-16T19:13:34.247146Z",
"version": "2.0.3"
},
"type": "ssvc"
}
}
],
"providerMetadata": {
"dateUpdated": "2024-10-16T19:13:54.085Z",
"orgId": "134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0",
"shortName": "CISA-ADP"
},
"title": "CISA ADP Vulnrichment"
}
],
"cna": {
"affected": [
{
"defaultStatus": "unaffected",
"product": "Facebook Chat Plugin \u2013 Live Chat Plugin for WordPress",
"vendor": "facebook",
"versions": [
{
"lessThan": "1.6",
"status": "affected",
"version": "0",
"versionType": "semver"
}
]
}
],
"credits": [
{
"lang": "en",
"type": "finder",
"value": "Chloe Chamberland"
}
],
"descriptions": [
{
"lang": "en",
"value": "The Facebook Chat Plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to authorization bypass due to a missing capability check on the wp_ajax_update_options function in versions up to, and including, 1.5. This flaw makes it possible for low-level authenticated attackers to connect their own Facebook Messenger account to any site running the vulnerable plugin and engage in chats with site visitors on affected sites."
}
],
"metrics": [
{
"cvssV3_1": {
"baseScore": 7.4,
"baseSeverity": "HIGH",
"vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:L",
"version": "3.1"
}
}
],
"problemTypes": [
{
"descriptions": [
{
"cweId": "CWE-284",
"description": "CWE-284 Improper Access Control",
"lang": "en",
"type": "CWE"
}
]
}
],
"providerMetadata": {
"dateUpdated": "2026-04-08T16:46:10.860Z",
"orgId": "b15e7b5b-3da4-40ae-a43c-f7aa60e62599",
"shortName": "Wordfence"
},
"references": [
{
"url": "https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/36ae4183-5fa7-484c-b858-5df10ae3d3f2?source=cve"
},
{
"url": "https://www.wordfence.com/blog/2020/08/the-official-facebook-chat-plugin-created-vector-for-social-engineering-attacks/"
}
],
"timeline": [
{
"lang": "en",
"time": "2020-08-04T00:00:00.000Z",
"value": "Disclosed"
}
],
"title": "Facebook Chat Plugin \u003c= 1.5 - Missing Capabilities Check"
}
},
"cveMetadata": {
"assignerOrgId": "b15e7b5b-3da4-40ae-a43c-f7aa60e62599",
"assignerShortName": "Wordfence",
"cveId": "CVE-2020-36838",
"datePublished": "2024-10-16T06:43:27.628Z",
"dateReserved": "2024-10-15T18:41:09.198Z",
"dateUpdated": "2026-04-08T16:46:10.860Z",
"state": "PUBLISHED"
},
"dataType": "CVE_RECORD",
"dataVersion": "5.2",
"vulnerability-lookup:meta": {
"epss": {
"cve": "CVE-2020-36838",
"date": "2026-09-20",
"epss": "0.00354",
"percentile": "0.29095"
},
"nvd": {
"cve": {
"cveTags": [],
"descriptions": [
{
"lang": "en",
"value": "The Facebook Chat Plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to authorization bypass due to a missing capability check on the wp_ajax_update_options function in versions up to, and including, 1.5. This flaw makes it possible for low-level authenticated attackers to connect their own Facebook Messenger account to any site running the vulnerable plugin and engage in chats with site visitors on affected sites."
},
{
"lang": "es",
"value": "El complemento Facebook Chat para WordPress es vulnerable a la omisi\u00f3n de la autorizaci\u00f3n debido a una falta de verificaci\u00f3n de capacidad en la funci\u00f3n wp_ajax_update_options en versiones hasta la 1.5 incluida. Esta falla permite que atacantes autenticados de bajo nivel conecten su propia cuenta de Facebook Messenger a cualquier sitio que ejecute el complemento vulnerable y participen en chats con los visitantes del sitio en los sitios afectados."
}
],
"id": "CVE-2020-36838",
"lastModified": "2024-10-16T16:38:14.557",
"metrics": {
"cvssMetricV31": [
{
"cvssData": {
"attackComplexity": "LOW",
"attackVector": "NETWORK",
"availabilityImpact": "LOW",
"baseScore": 7.4,
"baseSeverity": "HIGH",
"confidentialityImpact": "LOW",
"integrityImpact": "LOW",
"privilegesRequired": "LOW",
"scope": "CHANGED",
"userInteraction": "NONE",
"vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:L",
"version": "3.1"
},
"exploitabilityScore": 3.1,
"impactScore": 3.7,
"source": "security@wordfence.com",
"type": "Secondary"
}
]
},
"published": "2024-10-16T07:15:09.200",
"references": [
{
"source": "security@wordfence.com",
"url": "https://www.wordfence.com/blog/2020/08/the-official-facebook-chat-plugin-created-vector-for-social-engineering-attacks/"
},
{
"source": "security@wordfence.com",
"url": "https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/36ae4183-5fa7-484c-b858-5df10ae3d3f2?source=cve"
}
],
"sourceIdentifier": "security@wordfence.com",
"vulnStatus": "Awaiting Analysis",
"weaknesses": [
{
"description": [
{
"lang": "en",
"value": "CWE-284"
}
],
"source": "security@wordfence.com",
"type": "Secondary"
}
]
}
},
"redhat_vex": {
"current_release_date": "2025-05-22T17:09:20+00:00",
"cve": "CVE-2020-36838",
"id": "CVE-2020-36838",
"initial_release_date": "2020-01-01T00:00:00+00:00",
"product_status:known_not_affected": "1",
"source": "Red Hat CSAF VEX",
"status": "final",
"title": "Facebook Chat Plugin \u003c= 1.5 - Missing Capabilities Check",
"url": "https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2020/cve-2020-36838.json",
"version": "3"
},
"vulnrichment": {
"containers": {
"adp": [
{
"metrics": [
{
"other": {
"content": {
"id": "CVE-2020-36838",
"options": [
{
"Exploitation": "none"
},
{
"Automatable": "no"
},
{
"Technical Impact": "partial"
}
],
"role": "CISA Coordinator",
"timestamp": "2024-10-16T19:13:34.247146Z",
"version": "2.0.3"
},
"type": "ssvc"
}
}
],
"providerMetadata": {
"dateUpdated": "2024-10-16T19:13:41.700Z",
"orgId": "134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0",
"shortName": "CISA-ADP"
},
"title": "CISA ADP Vulnrichment"
}
],
"cna": {
"affected": [
{
"defaultStatus": "unaffected",
"product": "Facebook Chat Plugin \u2013 Live Chat Plugin for WordPress",
"vendor": "facebook",
"versions": [
{
"lessThan": "1.6",
"status": "affected",
"version": "*",
"versionType": "semver"
}
]
}
],
"credits": [
{
"lang": "en",
"type": "finder",
"value": "Chloe Chamberland"
}
],
"descriptions": [
{
"lang": "en",
"value": "The Facebook Chat Plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to authorization bypass due to a missing capability check on the wp_ajax_update_options function in versions up to, and including, 1.5. This flaw makes it possible for low-level authenticated attackers to connect their own Facebook Messenger account to any site running the vulnerable plugin and engage in chats with site visitors on affected sites."
}
],
"metrics": [
{
"cvssV3_1": {
"baseScore": 7.4,
"baseSeverity": "HIGH",
"vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:L",
"version": "3.1"
}
}
],
"problemTypes": [
{
"descriptions": [
{
"cweId": "CWE-284",
"description": "CWE-284 Improper Access Control",
"lang": "en",
"type": "CWE"
}
]
}
],
"providerMetadata": {
"dateUpdated": "2024-10-16T06:43:27.628Z",
"orgId": "b15e7b5b-3da4-40ae-a43c-f7aa60e62599",
"shortName": "Wordfence"
},
"references": [
{
"url": "https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/36ae4183-5fa7-484c-b858-5df10ae3d3f2?source=cve"
},
{
"url": "https://www.wordfence.com/blog/2020/08/the-official-facebook-chat-plugin-created-vector-for-social-engineering-attacks/"
}
],
"timeline": [
{
"lang": "en",
"time": "2020-08-04T00:00:00.000Z",
"value": "Disclosed"
}
],
"title": "Facebook Chat Plugin \u003c= 1.5 - Missing Capabilities Check"
}
},
"cveMetadata": {
"assignerOrgId": "b15e7b5b-3da4-40ae-a43c-f7aa60e62599",
"assignerShortName": "Wordfence",
"cveId": "CVE-2020-36838",
"datePublished": "2024-10-16T06:43:27.628Z",
"dateReserved": "2024-10-15T18:41:09.198Z",
"dateUpdated": "2024-10-16T19:13:54.085Z",
"state": "PUBLISHED"
},
"dataType": "CVE_RECORD",
"dataVersion": "5.1"
}
}
}
Loading…
Loading…
Experimental. This forecast is provided for visualization only and may change without notice. Do not use it for operational decisions.
Forecast uses a logistic model when the trend is rising, or an exponential decay model when the trend is falling. Fitted via linearized least squares.
Sightings
| Author | Source | Type | Date | Other |
|---|
Nomenclature
- Seen: The vulnerability was mentioned, discussed, or observed by the user.
- Confirmed: The vulnerability has been validated from an analyst's perspective.
- Published Proof of Concept: A public proof of concept is available for this vulnerability.
- Exploited: The vulnerability was observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
- Patched: The vulnerability was observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.
- Not exploited: The vulnerability was not observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
- Not confirmed: The user expressed doubt about the validity of the vulnerability.
- Not patched: The vulnerability was not observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.
Loading…
The MITRE ATT&CK techniques below are AI-generated suggestions, inferred from the description of the
vulnerability by the CIRCL/vulnerability-attack-technique-classification-roberta-base
model, served locally by ML-Gateway.
They have not been verified by an analyst and are provided for guidance only.
The approach is described in our paper Mapping CVEs to MITRE ATT&CK Techniques: A Curated Gold-Set Classifier and the Limits of LLM-Assisted Label Expansion.
Browse all ATT&CK techniques and the vulnerabilities related to each.
The approach is described in our paper Mapping CVEs to MITRE ATT&CK Techniques: A Curated Gold-Set Classifier and the Limits of LLM-Assisted Label Expansion.
Browse all ATT&CK techniques and the vulnerabilities related to each.
Loading…
Related by attack behaviour
Vulnerabilities whose description is nearest to this one in the vector space of the CIRCL/vulnerability-attack-technique-biencoder model. This is a similarity search over the bi-encoder space (plain cosine), not a classification, and it has no measured accuracy.
Loading…