Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2021-36878 affects the WordPress uListing plugin through version 2.0.5. It allows a malicious site to trick an authenticated user into changing plugin settings. The business risk is unauthorized configuration change, not direct data theft or service outage based on the provided CVSS data.
Executive priority
Treat this as a moderate-priority website integrity issue. It is not described as data theft or active exploitation, but affected WordPress sites should be remediated because unauthorized settings changes can affect site behavior and trust.
Technical view
The issue is a CWE-352 cross-site request forgery in StylemixThemes uListing for WordPress, versions <= 2.0.5. The CVSS 3.1 vector is AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N, indicating remote reachability, required user interaction, and low integrity impact.
Likely exposure
Exposure is limited to WordPress sites with the uListing plugin installed at version 2.0.5 or earlier. Sites without this plugin are not affected based on the provided sources.
Exploitation context
The provided sources do not show CISA KEV listing or active exploitation. Successful abuse requires user interaction, likely involving a logged-in administrative or privileged WordPress user being induced to trigger an unauthorized settings change.
Researcher notes
Evidence is limited to the CVE metadata and advisory references. The sources identify affected versions and CSRF impact, but the prompt bundle does not provide a fixed version, proof of exploitation, or detailed vulnerable endpoint information.
Mitigation direction
- Inventory WordPress sites for the uListing plugin and version.
- Prioritize remediation for uListing versions 2.0.5 or earlier.
- Check WordPress.org and Patchstack for vendor remediation guidance.
- Update only to a vendor-supported fixed release when identified.
- If unresolved, consider disabling the plugin where business impact permits.
Validation and detection
- Confirm whether uListing is installed on each WordPress site.
- Record the installed plugin version and flag versions <= 2.0.5.
- Review administrative setting changes around suspicious user activity.
- Verify remediation guidance from WordPress.org or Patchstack before closure.
- After updating, confirm the vulnerable version is no longer present.
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-352: User-session and phishing behavior lookup
Client-side and session-facing weaknesses should be reviewed alongside initial-access and user-execution behaviors. 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-2021-36878 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
- Medium
- CVSS
- 4.3 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:L/A: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.
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:R/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N2.81.4Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
4.3MediumVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://wordpress.org/plugins/ulisting/#developersCVE reference · x_refsource_CONFIRM
- https://patchstack.com/database/vulnerability/ulisting/wordpress-ulisting-plugin-2-0-5-settings-update-via-cross-site-request-forgery-csrf-vulnerabilityCVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
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.
Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF)
Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.