Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
This vulnerability lets an unauthenticated attacker bypass login on WordPress sites using Time Capsule Plugin 1.21.16 and obtain administrator access. That can expose site control, content, user data, and backup workflows. The source bundle does not show CISA KEV listing or confirmed active exploitation.
Executive priority
Prioritize internet-facing WordPress sites because successful exploitation can grant full dashboard access without credentials. Absence from KEV lowers certainty of active exploitation, not business impact.
Technical view
CVE-2020-37255 is an authentication bypass in Wptimecapsule Time Capsule Plugin 1.21.16. A crafted POST request using the IWP_JSON_PREFIX header can result in valid administrator session cookies. It is mapped to CWE-288 and scored CVSS 4.0 8.7 high. Structured affected metadata appears incomplete or inconsistent.
Likely exposure
Public WordPress sites running the Time Capsule Plugin, especially version 1.21.16 identified by the advisory and description. Exposure evidence should be confirmed locally because the structured affected record lists ambiguous version data.
Exploitation context
The bundle includes an ExploitDB reference, so public exploit information exists. It does not include KEV status or another cited source confirming active exploitation in the wild. Treat internet-facing affected WordPress sites as urgent because exploitation requires no credentials or user interaction.
Researcher notes
Use the CVE record, VulnCheck advisory, and ExploitDB reference to scope exposure. Do not assume affected versions beyond 1.21.16 from this bundle. The affected metadata conflicts with the narrative, so version validation needs direct product evidence.
Mitigation direction
- Inventory WordPress sites for Time Capsule Plugin and exact version.
- Check vendor and advisory guidance for patched or safe versions.
- Disable or remove affected plugin versions until vendor guidance is confirmed.
- Invalidate administrator sessions after remediation.
- Review administrator accounts for unauthorized additions or changes.
Validation and detection
- Confirm whether Time Capsule Plugin 1.21.16 is installed.
- Review web logs for suspicious unauthenticated POST activity referencing IWP_JSON_PREFIX.
- Check WordPress admin session history for unexpected administrator access.
- Verify plugin removal, disablement, or upgrade is complete.
- Confirm no unexpected administrator users, plugins, or content changes remain.
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-288: Exact CWE lookup
Use the exact CWE identifier as the starting point before reviewing related ATT&CK behavior. 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 lookupCredential and access behavior lookup
The CVE wording references authentication or credential exposure, so valid-account and credential-access review may help. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2020-37255 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
- High
- CVSS
- 8.7 (4.0)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
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.
SSVC decision data
CVSS vector scores
2 official scoresWe 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:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N——VulnCheckCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N3.93.6VulnCheckVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 4.0 score
8.7HighVector: CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
Base CVSS 3.1 score
7.5HighVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
Vulnerability timeline
Timeline events are normalized from CVE metadata, CNA source timelines, ADP timelines, and KEV metadata when present.
- CVE reservedCVE Program
The CVE ID was reserved by the assigning CNA.
- CVE publishedCVE Program
The CVE record was published.
- CVE updatedCVE Program
The CVE record metadata indicates this as the latest update time.
ADP provider summaries
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- ExploitDB-47941CVE reference, VulnCheck · exploit
- Official Product HomepageCVE reference, VulnCheck · product
- VulnCheck Advisory: WordPress Time Capsule Plugin 1.21.16 Authentication BypassCVE reference, VulnCheck · third-party-advisory
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.
Authentication Bypass Using an Alternate Path or Channel
Authentication Bypass Using an Alternate Path or Channel represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.