Authorization bypass in themeum Tutor LMS – eLearning and online course solution
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- Security bypass
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- None · Low · None
- Fix status
- No fix listed
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA. Impact type from CWE-639.
Summary
The Tutor LMS – eLearning and online course solution plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Insecure Direct Object Reference in versions up to, and including, 4.0.7 via the tutor_quiz_builder_save AJAX action due to missing validation that nested question_id, answer_id, deleted_question_ids[], and deleted_answer_ids[] values in the submitted payload belong to a quiz/topic/course the requester is authorized to manage. The handler only validates the top-level course_id, topic_id, and (when supplied) payload['ID'], but the nested identifiers are passed straight into $wpdb->update/DELETE statements in QuizBuilder::save_questions(), QuizBuilder::save_question_answers(), and QuizBuilder::handle_delete(). This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Instructor-level access and above, to overwrite the content and re-parent arbitrary quiz questions/answers belonging to other instructors or administrators, and to delete arbitrary quiz question and answer rows.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- No
- Technical impact
- Partial
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
Remediation
No fixed version listed by the sources yet.
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-18439
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-9x9f-f428-ff8p
References
Other 12
- https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/6d07c82d-262a-4ac1-9ee5-7ef4d025f66f?source=cve
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/tutor/tags/4.0.3/classes/QuizBuilder.php#L291
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/tutor/tags/4.0.3/classes/QuizBuilder.php#L156
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/tutor/tags/4.0.3/classes/QuizBuilder.php#L423
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/tutor/tags/4.0.3/classes/QuizBuilder.php#L430
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/tutor/tags/4.0.3/classes/QuizBuilder.php#L781
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/tutor/tags/3.9.10/classes/QuizBuilder.php#L291
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/tutor/tags/3.9.10/classes/QuizBuilder.php#L156
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/tutor/tags/3.9.10/classes/QuizBuilder.php#L423
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/tutor/tags/3.9.10/classes/QuizBuilder.php#L430
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/tutor/tags/3.9.10/classes/QuizBuilder.php#L781
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/3690454/tutor/tags/4.0.8/classes/QuizBuilder.php
More themeum vulnerabilities
- TI-2024-09629 Tutor LMS <= 2.7.6 - Unauthenticated SQL Injection via rating_filter CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.5
- TI-2023-02936 Tutor LMS < 2.2.1 - Unauthenticated Access to Tutor LMS Lesson Resources via REST API CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.5
- TI-2021-07196 Qubely < 1.8.6 - Unauthenticated Arbitrary E-mail Sending CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.5
- TI-2023-05666 WP Crowdfunding < 2.1.9 - Reflected XSS CVSS 3.1MEDIUM 6.1
- TI-2023-00225 Tutor LMS < 2.0.10 - Reflected Cross-Site Scripting CVSS 3.1MEDIUM 6.1
- TI-2023-04422 Tutor LMS < 2.3.0 - Subscriber+ Stored Cross-Site Scripting CVSS 3.1MEDIUM 5.4
Sources
- CVE-2026-18439 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-18439 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-9x9f-f428-ff8p · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences