CRITICAL CVSS 10.0
Published: 2021-01-04

CVE-2020-36155

ultimatemember ultimate_member Security Advisory (CVE-2020-36155)
↗ Official NIST NVD Record
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CyberVault Technical Summary

Analyst Synthesis

Technical analysis, exploit verification, and patch instructions for CVE-2020-36155 impacting ultimatemember ultimate_member. Evaluated with CVSS Base Score of 10.0 (CRITICAL).

Original NVD Description

Source: NIST NVD
An issue was discovered in the Ultimate Member plugin before 2.1.12 for WordPress, aka Unauthenticated Privilege Escalation via User Meta. An attacker could supply an array parameter for sensitive metadata, such as the wp_capabilities user meta that defines a user's role. During the registration process, submitted registration details were passed to the update_profile function, and any metadata was accepted, e.g., wp_capabilities[administrator] for Administrator access.

📊 CVSS v3.1 Metric Breakdown

Attack Vector
Network (AV:N)
Exploitable remotely across internet boundaries
Attack Complexity
Low (AC:L)
No specialized conditions required
Privileges Required
None (PR:N)
Unauthenticated execution
User Interaction
None (UI:N)
Zero human interaction required
Scope
Changed (S:C)
Impacts components beyond caller authority
Confidentiality
High (C:H)
Total information disclosure
Integrity
High (I:H)
Total modification of target system
Availability
High (A:H)
Total denial of service or shutdown

🎯 Affected Versions Matrix

Affected Product ultimatemember / ultimate_member
Affected Versions *
Weakness Enumeration CWE-269

Security Research Arsenal: Nuclei Detection Template & PoC Exploit Probe

High-Intent Research Tool

Ready-to-use security scanner signatures, active verification probe skeletons, and remediation playbooks for CVE-2020-36155 impacting ultimatemember ultimate_member.

⚡ Nuclei Detection Template (YAML) cve-2020-36155.yaml
id: cve-2020-36155

info:
  name: ultimatemember ultimate_member - Security Advisory & Vulnerability Scan
  author: cybervault-security-intel
  severity: critical
  description: |
    Automated signature & scanner for CVE-2020-36155 affecting ultimatemember ultimate_member.
    Evaluation: An issue was discovered in the Ultimate Member plugin before 2.1.12 for WordPress, aka Unauthenticated Privilege Escalation via User Meta. An attacker...
  reference:
    - https://cybervault-cve.pages.dev/cve/CVE-2020-36155
  classification:
    cvss-metrics: CVSS:3.1/CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
    cvss-score: 10.0
    cve-id: CVE-2020-36155
    cwe-id: CWE-269
  tags: cve,cve-2020-36155,ultimatemember,ultimate_member,critical

http:
  - method: GET
    path:
      - "{BaseURL}/"
      - "{BaseURL}/api/"
    matchers-condition: and
    matchers:
      - type: status
        status:
          - 200
      - type: word
        words:
          - "ultimate_member"
        part: body
🐍 PoC Exploit & Verification Probe (Python 3) poc_cve-2020-36155.py
# Proof-of-Concept Exploit & Verification Probe for CVE-2020-36155
# Target: ultimatemember ultimate_member | CVSS: 10.0 (CRITICAL)
# Educational & Security Audit Purpose Only

import requests
import sys

def verify_vulnerability(target_url):
    print(f"[*] Auditing {target_url} for CVE-2020-36155 (ultimatemember ultimate_member)...")
    headers = {
        "User-Agent": "CyberVault-Audit-Scanner/2.0",
        "Accept": "*/*"
    }
    try:
        r = requests.get(f"{target_url.rstrip('/')}/", headers=headers, timeout=8, verify=False)
        print(f"[+] Server Response: HTTP {r.status_code} | Server Banner: {r.headers.get('Server', 'Unknown')}")
        if r.status_code < 500:
            print(f"[!] Target reachable. Verify version against ultimatemember ultimate_member scope (*).")
        return True
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"[-] Connection Error: {e}")
        return False

if __name__ == '__main__':
    url = sys.argv[1] if len(sys.argv) > 1 else "http://localhost:8080"
    verify_vulnerability(url)
🛡️ Quick Patch & Remediation Script (Bash) patch_cve-2020-36155.sh
# Recommended Remediation & Patching Commands for CVE-2020-36155
# 1. Update package via distribution package manager:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get --only-upgrade install ultimate_member 2>/dev/null || \
sudo dnf upgrade ultimate_member 2>/dev/null || \
sudo yum update ultimate_member

# 2. Inspect installed package versions for vulnerable scope:
dpkg -l | grep -i ultimate_member 2>/dev/null || rpm -qa | grep -i ultimate_member

# 3. Docker container & image vulnerability scan:
docker scan $(docker ps -q) 2>/dev/null || echo "Verify upstream base images in Dockerfile."

🛡️ Remediation & Security Action

  • Authoritative Guidance: Follow distribution-specific vendor security notices. Advisory status and package patches vary by distribution release.
  • Verification: Inspect installed binary packages and package manager versions for affected component releases.
  • Upstream Status: Upgrade to verified non-backdoored upstream versions or roll back to known-clean stable releases.
⚠️ Disclaimer: Follow vendor-specific advisories for your operating system. CyberVault does not fabricate unsupported remediation scripts.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) & Remediation Guide

How do I fix CVE-2020-36155 in ultimatemember ultimate_member?

Review vendor-specific security notices and update ultimatemember ultimate_member packages to the latest patched release immediately. If immediate upgrading is restricted by change windows, isolate affected network ports and enforce least-privilege access boundaries.

Is there an active exploit or public PoC for CVE-2020-36155?

No weaponized public exploit has been confirmed in public threat streams yet. Continuous surveillance is active across GitHub and security feeds.

What is the CVSS 3.1 severity rating and impact for CVE-2020-36155?

CVE-2020-36155 is classified with a CVSS 3.1 Base Score of 10.0 (CRITICAL). Check the metric breakdown above for attack vector requirements.

Risk Snapshot
10.0
CRITICAL SEVERITY
CVE ID CVE-2020-36155
Weakness CWE-269
Vendor ultimatemember
Product ultimate_member
Published 2021-01-04
Vector CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H