Vulnerability identifier: #VU26595

Vulnerability risk: High

CVSSv3.1: 8.5 [CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:U/RL:O/RC:C]

CVE-ID: CVE-2020-11514

CWE-ID: CWE-264

Exploitation vector: Network

Exploit availability: No

Vulnerable software:
WordPress SEO Plugin – Rank Math
Web applications / Modules and components for CMS

Vendor: Rank Math

Description

The vulnerability allows a remote attacker to escalate privileges on the system.

The vulnerability exists due to the affected plugin registers the "rankmath/v1/updateMeta" REST-API endpoint, which fails to include a "permission_callback" used for capability checking. A remote attacker can send a specially crafted request and gain administrator privileges on the target system.

Mitigation
Install updates from vendor's website.

Vulnerable software versions

WordPress SEO Plugin – Rank Math: 1.0.0 - 1.0.40.2

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External links
http://wpvulndb.com/vulnerabilities/10157/
http://www.wordfence.com/blog/2020/03/critical-vulnerabilities-affecting-over-200000-sites-patched-in-rank-math-seo-plugin/

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Q & A

Can this vulnerability be exploited remotely?

Yes. This vulnerability can be exploited by a remote non-authenticated attacker via the Internet.

Is there known malware, which exploits this vulnerability?

No. We are not aware of malware exploiting this vulnerability.