# CVE-2020-36838: Facebook Chat Plugin <= 1.5 - Missing Capabilities Check

> Low-privilege users can bypass authorization checks to connect their Facebook Messenger account to any site using the plugin.

- **Severity:** High 7.4 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:L`)
- **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:** 16 Oct 2024
- **Updated:** 8 Apr 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-jw54-249h-29hc

## What is CVE-2020-36838?

CVE-2020-36838 is a high-severity missing authorization vulnerability in Facebook Chat Plugin – Live Chat Plugin for WordPress, published on 16 Oct 2024. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The Facebook Chat Plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to authorization bypass due to a missing capability check on the wp_ajax_update_options function in versions up to, and including, 1.5. This flaw makes it possible for low-level authenticated attackers to connect their own Facebook Messenger account to any site running the vulnerable plugin and engage in chats with site visitors on affected sites.

Weakness: CWE-284 (Improper Access Control)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-36838?


## How do I fix CVE-2020-36838?

No fix has been published for CVE-2020-36838 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2020-36838 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-36838 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2020-36838 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2020-36838 is a high-severity missing authorization vulnerability in Facebook Chat Plugin – Live Chat Plugin for WordPress, published on 16 Oct 2024. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-36838 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Facebook Chat Plugin – Live Chat Plugin for WordPress. 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-2020-36838/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-36838/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-36838
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-36838
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2020-36838

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-36838/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.