# CVE-2020-36969: M/Monit 3.7.4 - Privilege Escalation

> Authenticated users can escalate privileges to admin by manipulating the admin parameter in the user update API endpoint.

- **Severity:** High 8.7 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N`)
- **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:** 28 Jan 2026
- **Updated:** 5 Mar 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-mwjm-9r99-f56x, UBUNTU-CVE-2020-36969

## What is CVE-2020-36969?

CVE-2020-36969 is a high-severity vulnerability in Tildeslash Ltd. M/Monit, published on 28 Jan 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

M/Monit 3.7.4 contains a privilege escalation vulnerability that allows authenticated users to modify user permissions by manipulating the admin parameter. Attackers can send a POST request to the /api/1/admin/users/update endpoint with a crafted payload to grant administrative access to a standard user account.

Weakness: CWE-863 (Incorrect Authorization)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-36969?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Tildeslash M\/Monit.

## How do I fix CVE-2020-36969?

No fix has been published for CVE-2020-36969 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2020-36969 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2020-36969 exists.

## Other vulnerabilities in Tildeslash Ltd. M/Monit

- [CVE-2020-36968](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-36968/): M/Monit 3.7.4 - Password Disclosure (high 7.1)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2020-36969 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2020-36969 is a high-severity vulnerability in Tildeslash Ltd. M/Monit, published on 28 Jan 2026. 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-2020-36969 exists.

Affected product: Tildeslash Ltd. M/Monit. 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-2020-36969/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-36969/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-36969
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-36969
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2020-36969

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-36969/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.