set-screen-option filter misuse by plugins leading to privilege escalation in WordPress
Noroxi assessment
Priority: Monitor (action score 12/100)
- The sources we track (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, Metasploit, Nuclei, GitHub) show no public exploit code or exploitation in the wild.
- Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 1.4% (FIRST EPSS); higher than 72.3% of all records.
- Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it. A low-privileged account is enough. No user action is required. Special conditions such as timing or configuration are required.
- Fixed version: WordPress wordpress-develop 5.4.2.
Low priority for now. Upgrade to WordPress wordpress-develop 5.4.2 or later.
Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it
Primary sources: NVD · CVE.org · FIRST EPSS
In affected versions of WordPress, misuse of the `set-screen-option` filter's return value allows arbitrary user meta fields to be saved. It does require an admin to install a plugin that would misuse the filter. Once installed, it can be leveraged by low privileged users. This has been patched in version 5.4.2, along with all the previously affected versions via a minor release (5.3.4, 5.2.7, 5.1.6, 5.0.10, 4.9.15, 4.8.14, 4.7.18, 4.6.19, 4.5.22, 4.4.23, 4.3.24, 4.2.28, 4.1.31, 4.0.31, 3.9.32, 3.8.34, 3.7.34).
- Published
- Jun 12, 2020
- Updated
- Jun 16, 2026
- EPSS
- 1.4% · 72th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-288
Report tools
Action score
12
Monitor
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 12 / 40 · 3.1 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 0 / 30 · 1.4%
CNA vs NVD score
- NVD
- 3.1
- CNA · GitHub_M
- 3.5
- 0.4 point gap
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:L/A:N
The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.
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Noroxi analysis
What does it mean in your environment?
The assessment above is generated automatically from the record's data; it doesn't know your environment. Our team verifies on your systems whether this vulnerability is actually exploitable and which mitigation is enough.
We use this product, ask for helpAffected systems
Is your version affected?
Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| wordpress | wordpress | cpe:2.3:a:wordpress:wordpress |
| fedoraproject | fedora | cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora |
| debian | debian linux | cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux |
Using wordpress? Add it to your stack and be the first to know about CVEs like this one. (WordPress)
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- wordpress wordpress3.7 and later · before 3.7.34
- wordpress wordpress3.8 and later · before 3.8.34
- wordpress wordpress3.9 and later · before 3.9.32
- wordpress wordpress4.0 and later · before 4.0.31
- wordpress wordpress4.1 and later · before 4.1.31
- wordpress wordpress4.2 and later · before 4.2.28
- wordpress wordpress4.3 and later · before 4.3.24
- wordpress wordpress4.4 and later · before 4.4.23
- wordpress wordpress4.5 and later · before 4.5.22
- wordpress wordpress4.6 and later · before 4.6.19
- wordpress wordpress4.7 and later · before 4.7.18
- wordpress wordpress4.8 and later · before 4.8.14
- wordpress wordpress4.9 and later · before 4.9.15
- wordpress wordpress5.0 and later · before 5.0.10
- wordpress wordpress5.1 and later · before 5.1.6
- wordpress wordpress5.2 and later · before 5.2.7
- wordpress wordpress5.3.0 and later · before 5.3.4
- wordpress wordpress5.4 and later · before 5.4.2
Versions reported by the vendor
Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (GitHub_M). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.
WordPress wordpress-develop
- >= 5.4.0, < 5.4.2, >= 5.3.0, < 5.3.4, >= 5.2.0, < 5.2.7, >= 5.1.0, < 5.1.6, >= 5.0.0, < 5.0.10, >= 4.9.0, < 4.9.15, >= 4.8.0, < 4.8.14, >= 4.7.0, < 4.7.18, >= 4.6.0, < 4.6.19, >= 4.5.0, < 4.5.22, >= 4.4.0, < 4.4.23, >= 4.3.0, < 4.3.24 … (+6)affected
Package-level exposure
OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian:10 | wordpress | before 5.0.10+dfsg1-0+deb10u1 | 5.0.10+dfsg1-0+deb10u1 |
| Debian:12 | wordpress | before 5.4.2+dfsg1-1 | 5.4.2+dfsg1-1 |
| Debian:8 | wordpress | before 4.1.31+dfsg-0+deb8u1 | 4.1.31+dfsg-0+deb8u1 |
| Debian:9 | wordpress | before 4.7.18+dfsg-1+deb9u1 | 4.7.18+dfsg-1+deb9u1 |
Same product
wordpress: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2026-87902An unauthenticated attacker can make `get_page_template()` page-template resolution include a chosen readable local `.php` file outside the KEV74This week
- CVE-2026-63030WordPress < 7.0.2 - REST API batch-route confusion and SQL injection issue leading to Remote Code ExecutionKEV72This week
- CVE-2026-60137WordPress < 7.0.2 - Facilitated SQL Injection via author__not_in in WP_QueryKEV60This week
Published before and after this one in the same product
- ← EarlierCVE-2020-4048Jun 12, 2020 · Open redirect in wp_validate_redirect() in WordPress23Monitor
- ← EarlierCVE-2020-4049Jun 12, 2020 · Authenticated self-XSS via theme uploads in WordPress10Monitor
- Later →CVE-2020-25286Sep 13, 2020 · In wp-includes/comment-template.php in WordPress before 5.4.2, comments from a post or page could sometimes be seen in the latest comments e22Monitor
Remediation
Which version to upgrade to
Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.
| Product / package | Fixed version | Source |
|---|---|---|
| WordPress wordpress-develop | 5.4.2 · description | Vendor (CNA) |
| debian:wordpress | 5.4.2+dfsg1-1 · Debian:12 | Package registry (OSV) |
Exploit status
No known public exploit
No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.
Research context
For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.
Timeline
From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.
No dated events beyond publication.
FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).
Patch and commit links
Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.
Credits
All researchersFinders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.
No credits in the CNA record.
Variant candidates
Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.
No nightly-computed relations.
Chain candidates
An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.
—
Bug bounty scope
The product’s vendor appears in a public program. Matched by name; verify the scope text in the program.
Technical details
Attack conditions
- Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it.
- A low-privileged account is enough.
- No user action is required.
- Special conditions such as timing or configuration are required.
If successful
- Confidentiality
- none
- Integrity
- low · data or configuration can be modified
- Availability
- none
- Attack vector
- Network
- Attack complexity
- High
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality impact
- None
- Integrity impact
- Low
- Availability impact
- None
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-288 · Authentication Bypass Using an Alternate Path or ChannelCVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N
nvd-primary
Attack context
MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.
Attack patterns (CAPEC)
Change log
- Fix✗ → ✓
For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →
References
Show all references (7 more)Show less
- github.com/WordPress/wordpress-develop/security/advisories/GHSA-4vpv-fgg2-gcqc
- lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2020/07/msg00000.html
- lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2020/09/msg00011.html
- lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/773N2ZV7QEMBGKH6FBKI6Q5S3YJMW357/
- lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/ODNHXVJS25YVWYQHOCICXTLIN5UYJFDN/
- wordpress.org/news/2020/06/wordpress-5-4-2-security-and-maintenance-release/
- www.debian.org/security/2020/dsa-4709
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.