CVE-2020-36716 | WP Activity Log <= 4.0.1 - Missing Authorization

Exp

The WP Activity Log plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to authorization bypass due to a missing capability check on the setup_page function in versions up to, and including, 4.0.1. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to run the setup wizard (if it has not been run previously) and access plugin configuration options.

Published: 2023-06-07 Last update: 2026-04-08 Assigner: [email protected] Source: [email protected]

Conclusion & alert: CVE-2020-36716 is rated Exploit Available (53.4/100): CVSS High severity, with low exploitation likelihood (EPSS 0.09%). Core evidence: 1 public exploit reference(s) are indexed (Exploit-DB). Mandatory action: Public exploits are available—assess exposure, apply mitigations, and prioritize patching.

Risk is dynamic; we continuously reassess and refresh what is shown on this page as upstream context changes.

Public exploit references (Exploit-DB) for CVE-2020-36716

EDB-ID Source Kind Published Link
nvd_ref exploit_tag Exploit-DB ↗

Exploit prediction scoring system (EPSS) score for CVE-2020-36716

EPSS lead: Daily EPSS estimates relative likelihood of exploitation; percentile ranks this CVE among scored vulnerabilities (higher = more severe relative rank).

# Date Old EPSS score New EPSS score Delta (New - Old)
1 2025-11-21 0.27% 0.09% -0.18%
2 2025-11-18 0.09% 0.27% +0.18%
3 2025-03-30 0.09%

Full EPSS history (10 records total)

Common vulnerability scoring system (CVSS) metrics for CVE-2020-36716

CVSS metrics for this CVE.

Base score Version Severity Vector Exploitability Impact Score source
7.3 3.1 HIGH
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L Click to expand
Attack vector (AV:N)
Could be attacked over the internet or any normal routed network—not just someone sitting at the machine.
Attack complexity (AC:L)
Once they can reach the bug, pulling it off is straightforward—no weird race conditions or rare setup.
Privileges required (PR:N)
No account or special rights needed—anonymous or random user is enough.
User interaction (UI:N)
Nobody has to click “OK” or open a trap file; it can work without a victim helping.
Scope (S:U)
Damage stays in the same “trust bubble” as the broken component—no big spill into unrelated systems.
Confidentiality (C:L)
Some sensitive info could get out, but not a total data dump.
Integrity (I:L)
Attackers could change some data, but it’s limited—not everything goes.
Availability (A:L)
Might cause slowdowns, glitches, or partial disruption—not a full brick.
3.9 3.4 [email protected]
7.3 3.1 HIGH
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L Click to expand
Attack vector (AV:N)
Could be attacked over the internet or any normal routed network—not just someone sitting at the machine.
Attack complexity (AC:L)
Once they can reach the bug, pulling it off is straightforward—no weird race conditions or rare setup.
Privileges required (PR:N)
No account or special rights needed—anonymous or random user is enough.
User interaction (UI:N)
Nobody has to click “OK” or open a trap file; it can work without a victim helping.
Scope (S:U)
Damage stays in the same “trust bubble” as the broken component—no big spill into unrelated systems.
Confidentiality (C:L)
Some sensitive info could get out, but not a total data dump.
Integrity (I:L)
Attackers could change some data, but it’s limited—not everything goes.
Availability (A:L)
Might cause slowdowns, glitches, or partial disruption—not a full brick.
3.9 3.4 [email protected]

Weakness enumeration for CVE-2020-36716

Affected software / configurations for CVE-2020-36716

Vendor Product Version Raw CPE
wpwhitesecurity wp_activity_log <= 4.0.1 cpe:2.3:a:wpwhitesecurity:wp_activity_log:*:*:*:*:*:wordpress:*:*

References for CVE-2020-36716

cvelogic Threat Intelligence