CVE-2020-35947 : Vulnerability Insights and Analysis

An issue was discovered in the PageLayer plugin before 1.1.2 for WordPress, allowing unauthorized execution of actions by authenticated users.

Understanding CVE-2020-35947

The vulnerability in the PageLayer plugin for WordPress could lead to unauthorized modification of pages and XSS attacks.

What is CVE-2020-35947?

The PageLayer plugin before version 1.1.2 for WordPress had AJAX action endpoints without proper permission checks, enabling any authenticated user to execute actions due to nonce exposure.

The Impact of CVE-2020-35947

The vulnerability allowed unauthorized users to modify pages and potentially execute XSS attacks, posing a high severity risk with a CVSS base score of 7.4.

Technical Details of CVE-2020-35947

The technical aspects of the CVE-2020-35947 vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

Nearly all AJAX action endpoints in the PageLayer plugin lacked permission checks, enabling unauthorized actions by authenticated users due to nonce exposure.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: PageLayer plugin
Vendor: PageLayer
Versions affected: All versions before 1.1.2

Exploitation Mechanism

Attack Complexity: Low
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: None
Scope: Changed
Vector String: CVSS:3.1/AC:L/AV:N/A:L/C:L/I:L/PR:L/S:C/UI:N

Mitigation and Prevention

Protecting systems from CVE-2020-35947.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update the PageLayer plugin to version 1.1.2 or newer.
Monitor for any unauthorized modifications to pages.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update plugins and themes to the latest versions.
Implement proper permission checks and authorization mechanisms in plugins.

Patching and Updates

Apply security patches promptly to mitigate vulnerabilities like CVE-2020-35947.