CVE-2024-43239 in Masteriyo LMS Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 08/19/2024
Authorization Bypass Through User-Controlled Key vulnerability in masteriyo Masteriyo - LMS learning-management-system.This issue affects Masteriyo - LMS: from n/a through <= 1.11.4.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/02/2026
The vulnerability CVE-2024-43239 represents a critical authorization bypass flaw within the Masteriyo learning management system that allows unauthenticated or unauthorized users to manipulate system access controls through user-controlled keys. This issue exists in versions prior to and including 1.11.4 of the Masteriyo LMS platform, creating a significant security risk for educational institutions and organizations relying on this software for online learning management. The vulnerability stems from improper validation of user inputs that control access keys, enabling malicious actors to bypass normal authentication mechanisms and gain unauthorized access to protected resources within the learning management system.
This authorization bypass vulnerability operates through a user-controlled key mechanism that should normally validate user credentials and permissions before granting access to specific learning materials, administrative functions, or user data. The flaw occurs when the system fails to properly validate or sanitize input parameters that control access keys, allowing attackers to manipulate these values to obtain elevated privileges or access restricted content. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-285 which specifically addresses improper authorization in software systems, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and T1566 for credential harvesting through social engineering or system exploitation. The root cause involves insufficient input validation and inadequate access control enforcement within the key management system of the LMS platform.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access to potentially compromise entire learning environments and sensitive educational data. Attackers could exploit this flaw to view private course materials, access student records, manipulate grades, or gain administrative control over the learning management system. This represents a severe risk for educational institutions that store personal information, academic records, and proprietary course content within the Masteriyo platform. The vulnerability could enable attackers to perform actions such as creating or modifying user accounts, accessing restricted administrative panels, or viewing confidential learning analytics that should only be available to authorized personnel. Organizations using the affected versions of Masteriyo LMS face potential compliance violations under data protection regulations such as GDPR, FERPA, or similar privacy frameworks due to unauthorized data access.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including updating to the latest version of Masteriyo LMS where this vulnerability has been patched, implementing additional access controls and monitoring for suspicious activities, and conducting thorough security assessments of their learning management systems. System administrators should review and validate all access control mechanisms, implement proper input sanitization for key parameters, and establish network segmentation to limit potential attack vectors. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of robust access control implementation and proper validation of user inputs in web applications. Security teams should also consider implementing intrusion detection systems to monitor for exploitation attempts and establish incident response procedures specifically addressing authorization bypass vulnerabilities. Additionally, organizations should review their vendor security practices and ensure timely patch management processes are in place to address similar vulnerabilities in other third-party components used in their educational technology infrastructure.