Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
A WordPress plugin called RegistrationMagic, used to build registration and login forms, has a critical flaw in versions up to 3.7.9.2. An attacker on the internet, without any account, can trick the site into running attacker-controlled code and pulling in a remote file. That can lead to full website takeover, data theft, or use of the site to attack visitors.
Executive priority
Treat as urgent for any WordPress site running RegistrationMagic. Patch or remove the plugin and review for site compromise this week.
Technical view
CVE-2017-20208 is an unauthenticated PHP Object Injection in RegistrationMagic up to and including 3.7.9.2, caused by deserialization of untrusted input inside is_expired_by_date() (CWE-502). A documented POP chain lets an attacker fetch and install a remote file, yielding code execution. CVSS 3.1 base score is 9.8 (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/C:H/I:H/A:H).
Likely exposure
WordPress sites using the metagauss RegistrationMagic plugin at versions at or below 3.7.9.2. Sites that accept public registration are reachable over the internet without authentication, so any unpatched install on a public site is exposed.
Exploitation context
Wordfence's 2017 reporting describes zero-day exploitation of plugin vulnerabilities in the wild during that period. The CVE is not in CISA KEV, but the unauthenticated, network-reachable attack path and historical exploitation make opportunistic targeting plausible.
Researcher notes
Root cause is unsafe deserialization (CWE-502) in is_expired_by_date(), reachable by unauthenticated input. The cited POP chain enables remote file fetch and installation, escalating object injection to code execution and persistence. Fix landed in WordPress.org plugin SVN changeset 1733274 for the custom-registration-form-builder-with-submission-manager slug.
Mitigation direction
- Update RegistrationMagic to version 3.7.9.3 or later across all WordPress installs.
- If immediate update is not possible, deactivate and remove the plugin until patched.
- Apply WAF rules from Wordfence or your provider that block PHP object injection patterns.
- Restrict outbound traffic from the web host to limit remote file fetch by a successful exploit.
- Review vendor advisories at the linked Wordfence and WordPress.org changeset pages for additional guidance.
Validation and detection
- Inventory WordPress sites and identify any with RegistrationMagic installed and its version.
- Confirm patched version 3.7.9.3 or later is active; flag any install at or below 3.7.9.2.
- Search web and PHP error logs for unexpected serialized payloads or outbound requests from the site.
- Look for unfamiliar plugins, themes, or files written under wp-content that could indicate remote file install.
- Run a malware and integrity scan such as Wordfence on suspect sites and review admin user accounts.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CWE-502: Code execution behavior lookup
Code execution and unsafe deserialization weaknesses often justify reviewing execution behavior and process telemetry. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2017-20208 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- Critical
- CVSS
- 9.8 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CVSS vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H3.95.9Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
9.8CriticalVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/c2b79193-f8fc-4ea2-8973-fe292cfb926b?source=cveCVE reference
- https://www.wordfence.com/blog/2017/10/3-zero-day-plugin-vulnerabilities-exploited-wild/CVE reference
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/1733274/custom-registration-form-builder-with-submission-managerCVE reference
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Deserialization of Untrusted Data
Deserialization of Untrusted Data represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.