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CVE Record

CVE-2020-13642: An issue was discovered in the SiteOrigin Page Builder plugin before 2.10.16 for WordPress.

An issue was discovered in the SiteOrigin Page Builder plugin before 2.10.16 for WordPress. The action_builder_content function did not do any nonce verification, allowing for requests to be forged on behalf of an administrator. The panels_data $_POST variable allows for malicious JavaScript to be executed in the victim's browser.

HighCVSS 8.8Not KEV-listedUpdated
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Glexia's TakeAutomated analysishigh

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

Older SiteOrigin Page Builder versions let an attacker trick a logged-in WordPress administrator into submitting a forged builder request. That request could place malicious JavaScript through page builder data, causing script execution in the victim’s browser. This matters most for sites where administrators may be targeted by phishing or malicious links.

Executive priority

Treat this as a high-priority legacy WordPress plugin issue. Patch any remaining vulnerable installations quickly, especially on public sites or environments where administrators handle sensitive content, customer data, or payment flows.

Technical view

CVE-2020-13642 affects SiteOrigin Page Builder for WordPress before 2.10.16. The action_builder_content function lacked nonce verification, enabling CSRF against an administrator. The panels_data POST value could carry JavaScript that executes in the victim browser. CVSS 3.0 is 8.8 with network attack vector and required user interaction.

Likely exposure

Exposure is limited to WordPress installations using SiteOrigin Page Builder before version 2.10.16. Risk is highest where administrators remain logged in while browsing email, chat, or external websites. The bundled sources do not identify specific downstream products or CPEs.

Exploitation context

The CVE record does not show CISA KEV listing, and the supplied sources do not prove active exploitation. Exploitation requires administrator interaction, but no attacker login is required according to the CVSS privileges-required value.

Researcher notes

The provided evidence supports CSRF due to missing nonce verification in action_builder_content and JavaScript injection through panels_data. Affected version detail is only “before 2.10.16.” No KEV status, confirmed exploitation, CWE mapping, or product CPEs are provided in the bundle.

Mitigation direction

  • Update SiteOrigin Page Builder to version 2.10.16 or later.
  • Check SiteOrigin and WordPress plugin guidance for any newer security releases.
  • Prioritize administrator account hygiene and reduce persistent logged-in admin sessions.
  • Review recent builder content changes for unexpected JavaScript or injected markup.
  • Ensure only trusted users have WordPress administrator access.

Validation and detection

  • Inventory WordPress sites using the SiteOrigin Page Builder plugin.
  • Confirm each installed plugin version is 2.10.16 or later.
  • Review pages and builder data changed around suspicious administrator activity.
  • Check logs for unusual administrator content edits or unexpected builder requests.
  • Verify security monitoring alerts on unexpected script changes in site content.
Prepared
Confidence
high
Sources
4

Public sources used

Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.

Potential ATT&CK relevance

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.

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CVE-2020-13642 mapping review

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Vulnerability profileCVE Program record
Severity
High
CVSS
8.8 (3.0)
Known Exploited
No
Published

Vector: CVSS:3.0/AC:L/AV:N/A:H/C:H/I:H/PR:N/S:U/UI:R

Official CVE source material

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.

1CVSS vectors
0Timeline events
0ADP providers
3Source links

CVSS vector scores

1 official score

We 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.

ScoreVersionSeverityVectorExploitImpactSource
8.8CVSS 3.0HighCVSS:3.0/AC:L/AV:N/A:H/C:H/I:H/PR:N/S:U/UI:R2.85.9Primary CVE score

Vulnerability scoring details

Base CVSS 3.0 score

8.8High
CVSS 3.0 vector shape for CVE-2020-13642Attack VectorAttack ComplexityPrivileges RequiredUser InteractionScopeConfidentiality ImpactIntegrity ImpactAvailability Impact

Vector: CVSS:3.0/AC:L/AV:N/A:H/C:H/I:H/PR:N/S:U/UI:R

Attack Vector
NetworkAdjacentLocalPhysical
Attack Complexity
LowHigh
Privileges Required
NoneLowHigh
User Interaction
NoneRequired
Scope
ChangedUnchanged
Confidentiality Impact
HighLowNone
Integrity Impact
HighLowNone
Availability Impact
HighLowNone

Source materials

Affected products

Products and packages named in the record

VendorProductVersion / packageStatus
n/an/an/aListed
Weakness

CWE details

No CWE listed

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