CVE-2020-7916 in LearnPress Plugin
Summary
by MITRE
be_teacher in class-lp-admin-ajax.php in the LearnPress plugin 3.2.6.5 and earlier for WordPress allows any registered user to assign itself the teacher role via the wp-admin/admin-ajax.php?action=learnpress_be_teacher URI without any additional permission checks. Therefore, any user can change its role to an instructor/teacher and gain access to otherwise restricted data.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/17/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-7916 resides within the LearnPress plugin for WordPress, specifically in the class-lp-admin-ajax.php file where the be_teacher functionality is implemented. This issue affects versions 3.2.6.5 and earlier, representing a critical authorization flaw that undermines the security model of the learning management system. The vulnerability manifests through a lack of proper permission validation when processing administrative AJAX requests, allowing any authenticated user to escalate their privileges without proper authorization checks.
The technical implementation of this flaw occurs through the wp-admin/admin-ajax.php endpoint with the specific action parameter set to learnpress_be_teacher. When a registered user accesses this URI, the system processes the request without verifying whether the user possesses the necessary administrative privileges or authorization to assign teacher roles to themselves. This absence of access control validation creates an arbitrary privilege escalation vector that directly violates fundamental security principles of least privilege and proper authorization enforcement.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability enables any registered user within the WordPress environment to gain teacher-level permissions, which typically include access to course content, student data, grading capabilities, and other restricted administrative functions. The implications extend beyond simple role manipulation as it effectively allows users to bypass the normal access control mechanisms that protect sensitive educational data and course management features. This could result in unauthorized access to student records, course materials, and grading information that should remain restricted to authorized instructors and administrators.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-285, which addresses improper authorization in software systems, and represents a clear violation of the principle of least privilege. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this issue maps to privilege escalation techniques where an adversary can elevate their access level within the system. The attack surface is particularly concerning because it requires no special privileges or complex exploitation techniques, making it easily accessible to any user with a valid account. The vulnerability essentially provides a direct path for users to bypass normal authentication and authorization controls, effectively turning any registered user into a potential administrator with elevated capabilities.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate patching of the LearnPress plugin to version 3.2.6.6 or later, which addresses the authorization flaw. Additionally, administrators should implement proper access control measures including role-based access control enforcement, regular security audits of plugin functionality, and monitoring of administrative AJAX requests. Network-level controls such as web application firewalls can help detect and block suspicious requests to the affected endpoint. Organizations should also consider implementing principle of least privilege configurations where users only have access to the minimum required functionality and data necessary for their roles. Regular vulnerability assessments and security scanning of WordPress installations are essential to identify similar authorization flaws in other plugins or themes that may not have been properly vetted for security vulnerabilities.