CVE intelligence and bounded remediation

CVE-2020-36666 — E-Plugins Directory Pro security vulnerability

High CVSS 8.8

The directory-pro WordPress plugin before 1.9.5, final-user-wp-frontend-user-profiles WordPress plugin before 1.2.2, producer-retailer WordPress plugin through TODO, photographer-directory WordPress plugin before 1.0.9, real-estate-pro WordPress plugin before 1.7.1, institutions-directory WordPress plugin before 1.3.1, lawyer-directory WordPress plugin before 1.2.9, doctor-listing WordPress plugin before 1.3.6, Hotel Listing WordPress plugin before 1.3.7, fitness-trainer WordPress plugin before 1.4.1, wp-membership WordPress plugin before 1.5.7, sold by the same developer (e-plugins), do not implementing any security measures in some AJAX calls. For example in the file plugin.php, the function iv_directories_update_profile_setting() uses update_user_meta with any data provided by the ajax call, which can be used to give the logged in user admin capabilities. Since the plugins allow user registration via a custom form (even if the blog does not allow users to register) it makes any site using it vulnerable.

Severity
High
CVSS
8.8 (3.1)
Published
2023-03-27
CISA KEV
Not currently listed
Ecosystem
php/wordpress

Affected products

  • e-plugins / directory_pro
  • e-plugins / final_user
  • e-plugins / fitness_trainer
  • e-plugins / hospital_&_doctor_directory
  • e-plugins / hotel_directory
  • e-plugins / institutions_directory

Showing 6 representative product identities from 11 source matches. Confirm exact affected versions with the linked vendor and NVD evidence.

Matched remediation archetype

General vulnerability remediation

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Check exposure

  • Confirm the affected component, deployment paths, reachable interfaces, and enabled features from inventories and configuration, without probing production destructively.
  • Compare the advisory's affected conditions with the repository lockfiles, build manifests, artifacts, and runtime inventory.
  • Identify data sensitivity, trust boundaries, and privilege level for every confirmed affected deployment.

Remediate safely

  • Apply a vendor-supported fix or remove the affected component or feature; record the selected change and its source in the repository.
  • Update direct and transitive dependency locks, generated artifacts, deployment manifests, and asset inventories together.
  • Add a regression test for the documented unsafe condition using inert inputs and preserve rollback instructions.

Authoritative sources

Complete CVE record and remediation plan

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