CVE-2022-2080 in Sensei LMS Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 08/29/2022
The Sensei LMS WordPress plugin before 4.5.2 does not ensure that the sender of a private message is either the teacher or the original sender, allowing any authenticated user to send messages to arbitrary private conversation via a IDOR attack. Note: Attackers are not able to see responses/messages between the teacher and student
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/09/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-2080 affects the Sensei LMS WordPress plugin version 4.5.1 and earlier, representing a critical authorization flaw that enables unauthorized message transmission within the plugin's private messaging system. This issue stems from insufficient validation of message sender permissions, creating an insecure direct object reference condition that allows any authenticated user to manipulate conversation IDs and send messages to private conversations they should not have access to. The vulnerability specifically targets the plugin's private messaging functionality where users can communicate with teachers and other students in a learning management context. The flaw exists in the plugin's handling of conversation identifiers and lacks proper access controls to verify that the message sender has legitimate authorization to participate in the specified conversation thread. This represents a classic identity-based access control failure that violates fundamental security principles of least privilege and proper authorization enforcement.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability manifests through improper validation of user permissions when processing private message requests. The Sensei LMS plugin fails to verify whether an authenticated user has legitimate access rights to a specific conversation before allowing them to send messages to that conversation. Attackers can exploit this by identifying valid conversation IDs and crafting requests that bypass the normal authorization checks. The system accepts message submissions without confirming that the sender is either the original message author or the teacher in the conversation, creating a scenario where any authenticated user can inject messages into private discussions. This issue falls under CWE-639: Authorization Bypass Through User-Controlled Key, as the vulnerability allows unauthorized access through manipulation of object references that should be protected by proper authorization controls. The flaw demonstrates poor input validation and inadequate session management within the plugin's messaging component.
The operational impact of CVE-2022-2080 extends beyond simple message injection, potentially compromising the integrity and confidentiality of educational communications within the learning management system. While the vulnerability does not allow attackers to view existing conversation content or responses between teachers and students, it enables unauthorized individuals to pollute private conversations with irrelevant or malicious messages. This can lead to confusion among legitimate users, disruption of educational workflows, and potential information integrity issues within the course communication channels. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it requires only authenticated access to the WordPress site, meaning that any user with valid credentials can exploit this vulnerability. The impact is further amplified in educational environments where private conversations often contain sensitive information about student progress, course materials, and academic discussions that should remain confidential between teachers and their students.
The security implications of this vulnerability align with several ATT&CK framework techniques including T1078 Valid Accounts and T1566 Phishing, as unauthorized users can leverage legitimate credentials to gain access to private conversations. The vulnerability also demonstrates characteristics of T1213 Data from Information Repositories, as it allows unauthorized access to private communication channels that contain educational content and student-related information. Organizations using the affected Sensei LMS plugin should immediately implement mitigations including upgrading to version 4.5.2 or later, which addresses the authorization bypass issue through proper validation of conversation participants. Additional defensive measures should include monitoring for unusual messaging patterns, implementing network-based access controls, and conducting security audits of WordPress plugins to identify similar authorization flaws. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the importance of proper access control implementation in web applications, particularly in educational platforms where maintaining communication privacy and integrity is essential for effective learning environments.