CVE-2026-115598 in LearnPress Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 10/26/2026
Missing Authorization vulnerability in ThimPress LearnPress learnpress allows Exploiting Incorrectly Configured Access Control Security Levels.This issue affects LearnPress: from n/a through 4.4.11.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/26/2026
The identified security flaw represents a critical failure in access control mechanisms within the LearnPress plugin, specifically affecting versions ranging from its initial release up to version 4.4.11. This vulnerability is classified as an insecure direct object reference or broken access control issue, where the application fails to properly verify whether the authenticated user has the necessary permissions to perform specific actions on course data. In a typical WordPress environment utilizing LearnPress for e-learning and online education management, administrators create courses that may contain sensitive information such as student progress reports, payment details, quiz answers, or exclusive content intended only for enrolled students or instructors. The absence of robust server-side authorization checks allows an attacker to manipulate input parameters, typically through HTTP request manipulation, to access resources belonging to other users or administrative functions without proper validation.
From a technical perspective, the root cause lies in the application logic failing to associate the current session's user identity with the requested resource ID before processing the action. When a user requests data for a specific course item, such as viewing quiz results or editing lesson content, the backend script retrieves and processes this information based solely on the provided identifier rather than verifying that the requester owns the resource or holds an elevated role like administrator or instructor. This oversight enables unauthorized parties to bypass intended security boundaries by simply altering identifiers in API calls or form submissions. The vulnerability aligns closely with CWE-284, which describes Improper Access Control, and falls under the MITRE ATT&CK technique T1078, Valid Accounts, as it often involves leveraging existing credentials but abusing their permissions to access unauthorized data.
The operational impact of this misconfiguration is severe for both educational institutions and individual course creators relying on LearnPress. Attackers can exploit this flaw to exfiltrate personally identifiable information (PII) from student profiles, including names, email addresses, and potentially financial transaction histories if payment gateways are integrated. Furthermore, the ability to modify or delete course content without authorization poses a significant risk to data integrity. An attacker could alter quiz questions, change passing grades, or remove critical instructional materials, thereby undermining the credibility of the educational platform. In worst-case scenarios, combined with other vulnerabilities such as cross-site scripting stored in these accessible fields, this access control failure can lead to broader system compromise and widespread user exploitation.
To mitigate this vulnerability, immediate action is required by updating the LearnPress plugin to a version later than 4.4.11 where proper authorization checks have been implemented. Developers must ensure that every endpoint handling sensitive data performs strict server-side validation of user roles against resource ownership before executing any read or write operations. Implementing principle of least privilege ensures that users only access resources directly associated with their accounts unless explicitly granted higher privileges by an administrator. Additionally, organizations should employ Web Application Firewalls to monitor for anomalous patterns in request parameters and conduct regular security audits focusing on authentication and authorization logic within custom WordPress plugins to prevent similar misconfigurations from persisting in production environments.