# CVE-2020-36666: Multiple e-plugins - Subscriber+ Privilege Escalation

> Multiple e-plugins WordPress plugins allow logged-in users to escalate privileges to administrator via insecure AJAX calls that update user metadata.

- **Severity:** High 8.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 27 Mar 2023
- **Updated:** 19 Feb 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-p88j-jqx4-pp79

## What is CVE-2020-36666?

CVE-2020-36666 is a high-severity vulnerability in Unknown Hotel Listing, published on 27 Mar 2023. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

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.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-36666?

It affects 11 products.


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, E-Plugins Lawyer Directory, E-Plugins Photographer-Directory, E-Plugins Producer-Retailer, E-Plugins Real Estate Pro, E-Plugins Wp Membership.

## How do I fix CVE-2020-36666?

No fix has been published for CVE-2020-36666 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2020-36666 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2020-36666 exists.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2020-36666 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2020-36666 is a high-severity vulnerability in Unknown Hotel Listing, published on 27 Mar 2023. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2020-36666 exists.

Affected product: Unknown Hotel Listing. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-36666/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-36666/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-36666
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-36666
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2020-36666

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-36666/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.