# CVE-2020-36698: Security & Malware scan by CleanTalk <= 2.50 - Missing Authorization

> Authenticated subscribers can delete or upload files due to missing capability checks in the CleanTalk WordPress plugin.

- **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:** 20 Oct 2023
- **Updated:** 8 Apr 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-c55p-cv2w-vc32

## What is CVE-2020-36698?

CVE-2020-36698 is a high-severity missing authorization vulnerability in Login Security, FireWall, Malware removal by CleanTalk, published on 20 Oct 2023. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The Security & Malware scan by CleanTalk plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized user interaction in versions up to, and including, 2.50. This is due to missing capability checks on several AJAX actions and nonce disclosure in the source page of the administrative dashboard. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with subscriber-level permissions and above, to call functions and delete and/or upload files.

Weakness: CWE-862 (Missing Authorization)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-36698?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Cleantalk Security \& Malware Scan.

## How do I fix CVE-2020-36698?

No fix has been published for CVE-2020-36698 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2020-36698 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-36698 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Login Security, FireWall, Malware removal by CleanTalk

- [CVE-2024-13365](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-13365/): Security & Malware scan by CleanTalk <= 2.149 - Unauthenticated Arbitrary File Upload (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2023-5239](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-5239/): Security & Malware scan by CleanTalk < 2.121 - IP Spoofing (high 7.5)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2020-36698 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2020-36698 is a high-severity missing authorization vulnerability in Login Security, FireWall, Malware removal by CleanTalk, published on 20 Oct 2023. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-36698 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Login Security, FireWall, Malware removal by CleanTalk. 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-2020-36698/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-36698/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-36698
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-36698
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2020-36698

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-36698/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.