CVE-2026-14187 in Tutor LMS Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 08/22/2026
The Tutor LMS WordPress plugin before 4.0.6 does not enforce per-object ownership checks on its course content type, allowing any user with the instructor role to read the content of private courses belonging to other instructors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/22/2026
The vulnerability identified in versions of the Tutor LMS WordPress plugin prior to version 4.0.6 represents a critical failure in access control mechanisms within the application's course management architecture. Specifically, the flaw resides in how the plugin handles requests for retrieving course content associated with specific post types or custom data structures. In secure software design, particularly when dealing with multi-tenant environments like Learning Management Systems where multiple instructors manage distinct courses, it is imperative that every request to access a resource includes rigorous verification of ownership and authorization levels. The absence of these per-object checks means the application relies on insufficient logic to determine whether the requesting user has legitimate rights to view specific course materials. This architectural weakness allows for unauthorized data exposure across different instructor accounts within the same WordPress installation, undermining the fundamental isolation expected between separate educational entities sharing a platform.
From a technical perspective, this issue is classified under CWE-284, which describes Improper Access Control, and more specifically aligns with CWE-639 regarding Authorization Bypass Through User-Controlled Key. The root cause lies in the backend processing of API endpoints or database queries that fetch course details without adequately validating if the current user's identifier matches the owner identifier stored for that specific course record. When a user authenticated as an instructor initiates a request to view private course content, the system fails to cross-reference this action against the ownership metadata associated with the target resource. Consequently, instead of returning an access denied error or empty data set for courses belonging to other instructors, the application proceeds to serialize and return sensitive educational materials. This behavior effectively bypasses the intended privacy settings configured by course owners who marked their content as private, exposing it to any authenticated user possessing the instructor role on that WordPress site.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant in terms of data confidentiality and intellectual property protection for educators using the platform. Instructors often create proprietary curriculum materials, including video lectures, PDF documents, quizzes, and exclusive text-based lessons, which constitute their primary revenue stream or professional asset. The ability to read private courses belonging to others means that competitors can steal course structures, plagiarize content, or gain insights into pedagogical strategies without permission. Furthermore, this exposure violates the trust model of multi-instructor platforms where users expect a high degree of isolation between their accounts. If an attacker gains access to even one instructor account with minimal privileges, they can potentially harvest data from dozens or hundreds of other courses depending on how many private courses exist within that ecosystem. This not only leads to direct financial loss for content creators but also poses reputational risks and potential legal liabilities related to copyright infringement and breach of contract terms inherent in the platform's service agreement.
In alignment with the MITRE ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability facilitates techniques associated with Collection from Local System or Data Staging if an attacker were to automate the exfiltration process over time. It falls under the broader category of Privilege Escalation and Access Control Failures where a lower-privileged user gains access to resources reserved for higher privileges or restricted contexts. The attack vector is typically remote, requiring only valid authentication credentials for any instructor account on the target WordPress site. There are no complex exploitation steps required beyond standard HTTP requests directed at the plugin's API endpoints with manipulated parameters pointing to course IDs belonging to other users. This simplicity makes it highly susceptible to automated scanning tools and script-based attacks targeting known vulnerable versions of Tutor LMS, increasing the likelihood of widespread compromise across sites running outdated software.
To mitigate this vulnerability, immediate action is required by administrators hosting WordPress installations using Tutor LMS. The primary remediation step is to upgrade the plugin to version 4.0.6 or any subsequent release where these access control checks have been implemented and tested. Developers must ensure that all API endpoints handling course data retrieval enforce strict ownership verification before returning sensitive content. For organizations unable to patch immediately due to compatibility constraints, temporary mitigations include restricting the instructor role capabilities via additional security plugins or custom code snippets that limit access to certain database tables or API routes until an upgrade can be performed. Additionally, implementing Web Application Firewall rules that monitor for anomalous patterns of course ID enumeration by single IP addresses may help detect and block automated scraping attempts exploiting this flaw. Regular auditing of user roles and permissions within WordPress is also recommended to ensure that only necessary users hold the instructor role, thereby reducing the attack surface available to potential adversaries seeking to exploit access control weaknesses.