dbcve.org
Companion Auto UpdateWordPress extension · Codeermeneer

CVE-2018-20973

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.0 Published 2019-08-16
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 3.2.1 or later.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
The companion-auto-update plugin before 3.2.1 for WordPress has local file inclusion.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

The companion-auto-update plugin for WordPress versions before 3.2.1 contains a local file inclusion (LFI) vulnerability. This allows unauthenticated attackers to potentially read sensitive files from the server by manipulating file path parameters in plugin requests.

MitigationUpdate the companion-auto-update plugin to version 3.2.1 or later immediately. If patching is not possible, disable the plugin until an update can be applied.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Companion Auto UpdateWordPress extension
Affected:< 3.2.1

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

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

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Check if companion-auto-update plugin is installed
    Navigate to WordPress admin dashboard > Plugins > Installed Plugins. Look for 'Companion Auto Update' or 'Codeermeneer Companion Auto Update' in the plugin list.
    Affected if The plugin does not appear in the installed plugins list, so the user is not affected.
  2. Identify the installed version number
    In the Plugins list, find the companion-auto-update plugin. Click on the plugin name or view its details to see the version number displayed (e.g., 'Version 3.2.0' or similar).
    Affected if The version shown is less than 3.2.1 (e.g., 3.2.0, 3.1.x, 3.0.x, etc.).
  3. Verify the plugin is active
    In the Plugins list, check the status column. An 'Active' status indicator means the plugin is currently enabled on the site.
    Affected if The plugin is active and the version is below 3.2.1, indicating the vulnerability is exploitable.
  4. Confirm the vulnerability applies to your setup
    This LFI vulnerability is exploitable when the plugin is installed and active. No specific configuration toggle is required for the flaw to exist in vulnerable versions.
    Affected if All three conditions are true: plugin installed, version below 3.2.1, and plugin is active.

You are affected if the companion-auto-update plugin is installed, active, and running a version lower than 3.2.1.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 3.2.1 or later
Fixed in 3.2.1
Interim mitigation

Update the companion-auto-update plugin to version 3.2.1 or later immediately. If patching is not possible, disable the plugin until an update can be applied.

Recommended fix High confidence

3.2.1

  1. 1. Backup your WordPress site before making any changes
  2. 2. Log in to your WordPress admin dashboard
  3. 3. Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins
  4. 4. Locate the Companion Auto Update plugin in the list
  5. 5. If an update is available, click 'Update Now' to upgrade to version 3.2.1 or later
  6. 6. Alternatively, you can manually upload version 3.2.1 of the plugin from wordpress.org
  7. 7. After updating, verify the plugin version shows 3.2.1 or higher
  8. 8. Test that the plugin functionality works correctly

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Companion Auto Update Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation1.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
6.0 hours of engineering $1,060
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,696.

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2018-20973 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data