How severe is CVE-2020-36156?

CVE-2020-36156 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.9, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2020-36156 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-2020-36156?

CVE-2020-36156 affects Ultimatemember Ultimate Member. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2020-36156?

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-2020-36156 published?

CVE-2020-36156 was published on 2021-01-04 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2020-36156

CVE-2020-36156 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Ultimatemember Ultimate Member with a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.9. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-269.

Key facts

Severity: Critical (CVSS 3.x base score 9.9)
CVSS v2: 6.5
EPSS exploit prediction: 2% (79th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-269
Affected product: Ultimatemember Ultimate Member
Published: 2021-01-04
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

An issue was discovered in the Ultimate Member plugin before 2.1.12 for WordPress, aka Authenticated Privilege Escalation via Profile Update. Any user with wp-admin access to the profile.php page could supply the parameter um-role with a value set to any role (e.g., Administrator) during a profile update, and effectively escalate their privileges.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2020-36156?: An issue was discovered in the Ultimate Member plugin before 2.1.12 for WordPress, aka Authenticated Privilege Escalation via Profile Update. Any user with wp-admin access to the profile.php page could supply the parameter um-role with a value set to any role (e.g., Administrator) during a profile update, and effectively escalate their privileges.
How severe is CVE-2020-36156?: CVE-2020-36156 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.9, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2020-36156 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-2020-36156?: CVE-2020-36156 affects Ultimatemember Ultimate Member. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2020-36156?: 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-2020-36156 published?: CVE-2020-36156 was published on 2021-01-04 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:ultimatemember:ultimate_member:*:*:*:*:*:wordpress:*:*

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