How severe is CVE-2018-20979?

CVE-2018-20979 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2018-20979 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (79th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2018-20979?

CVE-2018-20979 affects Rocklobster Contact Form 7. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2018-20979?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2018-20979 published?

CVE-2018-20979 was published on 2019-08-22 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2018-20979

CVE-2018-20979 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Rocklobster Contact Form 7 with a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low.

Key facts

Severity: Critical (CVSS 3.x base score 9.8)
CVSS v2: 7.5
EPSS exploit prediction: 2% (79th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Affected product: Rocklobster Contact Form 7
Published: 2019-08-22
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

The contact-form-7 plugin before 5.0.4 for WordPress has privilege escalation because of capability_type mishandling in register_post_type.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2018-20979?: The contact-form-7 plugin before 5.0.4 for WordPress has privilege escalation because of capability_type mishandling in register_post_type.
How severe is CVE-2018-20979?: CVE-2018-20979 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2018-20979 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (79th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2018-20979?: CVE-2018-20979 affects Rocklobster Contact Form 7. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2018-20979?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2018-20979 published?: CVE-2018-20979 was published on 2019-08-22 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

https://wordpress.org/plugins/contact-form-7/#developers

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:rocklobster:contact_form_7:*:*:*:*:*:wordpress:*:*

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