CVE-2020-36666Public exploitNetwork attack vector

Administrator escalation via unchecked user meta writes

Published Mar 27, 2023 · Updated Feb 19, 2025

Privilege escalation in eleven ThemeGlow WordPress plugins allows remote authenticated users to grant themselves Administrator access. The iv_directories_update_profile_setting AJAX handler passes attacker-controlled fields to update_user_meta without authorization or key restrictions; Final User similarly accepts a requested user_role. A self-registered plugin account is sufficient, even when standard WordPress registration is disabled, and the resulting Administrator role grants full site control.

CVSS severity8.8
High
EPSS probability0.91%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
Coverage for this vulnerability

See if you're affected

Explore vulnerability checks for your environment with Hinoki.

Book a demo

Summary

What happened

Privilege escalation in eleven ThemeGlow WordPress plugins allows remote authenticated users to grant themselves Administrator access. The iv_directories_update_profile_setting AJAX handler passes attacker-controlled fields to update_user_meta without authorization or key restrictions; Final User similarly accepts a requested user_role. A self-registered plugin account is sufficient, even when standard WordPress registration is disabled, and the resulting Administrator role grants full site control.

The record

CVE
CVE-2020-36666
Published
Mar 27, 2023
Updated
Feb 19, 2025
Vendor
ThemeGlow
Product
WP Membership
Classifications
CWE-269, T1098, T1068
Attack vector
network
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Mar 27, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Feb 19, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=0 <1.5.7

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

ThemeGlow · WP Membershipversion=0 <1.5.7
ThemeGlow · Lawyer Directoryversion=0 <1.2.9
ThemeGlow · Real Estate Pro - WordPress Pluginversion=0 <1.7.1
ThemeGlow · Directory Proversion=0 <1.9.5
ThemeGlow · Final User - WP Front-end User Profilesversion=0 <1.2.2
ThemeGlow · Fitness Trainer- Training Membership Pluginversion=0 <1.4.1
ThemeGlow · Photographer Directoryversion=0 <1.0.9
ThemeGlow · Institutions Directoryversion=0 <1.3.1
ThemeGlow · Producer Retailer Directoryversion=0 <=TODO
ThemeGlow · Hotel Listingversion=0 <1.3.7
ThemeGlow · Hospital & Doctor Directoryversion=0 <1.3.6

Published CVSS scores

8.8CISA-ADPCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
8.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-269Improper Privilege Management
T1098Account Manipulation
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

See the directory against your own environment.

Your stack

Check the software in your environment

Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.

Book a demo