CVE-2020-36761 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

CVE-2020-36761, assigned by Wordfence, pertains to a Cross-Site Request Forgery vulnerability in the Top 10 plugin for WordPress.

Understanding CVE-2020-36761

The Top 10 plugin for WordPress is susceptible to CSRF attacks due to nonce validation issues.

What is CVE-2020-36761?

The vulnerability in the Top 10 plugin for WordPress allows unauthenticated attackers to manipulate site administrators into triggering actions like exporting data.

The Impact of CVE-2020-36761

This vulnerability enables attackers to forge requests, potentially leading to unauthorized data exports and other malicious activities.

Technical Details of CVE-2020-36761

The Top 10 plugin for WordPress is affected by a CSRF vulnerability due to inadequate nonce validation.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability exists in versions up to and including 2.10.4 of the Top 10 plugin for WordPress, specifically in the tptn_export_tables() function.

Affected Systems and Versions

Vendor: ajay
Product: Top 10 – Popular posts plugin for WordPress
Versions Affected: up to and including 2.10.4

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by tricking site administrators into performing actions that trigger the export of sensitive data.

Mitigation and Prevention

To address CVE-2020-36761, immediate steps and long-term security practices are crucial.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update the Top 10 plugin for WordPress to version 2.9.5 or higher.
Educate site administrators about potential CSRF attacks and the importance of verifying actions.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly monitor and update plugins to mitigate security risks.
Implement strict access controls and authentication mechanisms to prevent unauthorized actions.
Conduct security audits to identify and address vulnerabilities proactively.

Patching and Updates

Ensure timely installation of security patches and updates for all WordPress plugins to prevent exploitation of known vulnerabilities.