CVE-2026-82023 in LearnPress Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 09/03/2026
LearnPress WordPress Plugin before 4.4.6 contains a broken object-level authorization vulnerability that allows authenticated attackers with the Instructor role to add answers to quiz questions owned by other instructors by exploiting a missing ownership check on the question answer insert path. Attackers can supply arbitrary question identifiers during answer insertion, bypassing instructor-boundary restrictions to persistently modify quiz content across courses they do not own.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/03/2026
The vulnerability identified in LearnPress WordPress Plugin versions prior to 4.4.6 represents a critical failure in access control mechanisms, specifically categorized as Broken Object Level Authorization or Insecure Direct Object Reference within the CWE taxonomy. This flaw resides in the backend logic responsible for handling quiz question answer submissions. The core technical deficiency is the absence of an ownership verification step when processing new answers to existing questions. When an authenticated user with the Instructor role submits data to create a new answer, the application accepts arbitrary identifiers for the target question without validating whether that specific instructor has administrative or editing rights over the associated course and quiz structure. This lack of server-side validation allows any logged-in instructor to manipulate resources outside their designated scope by simply supplying the unique identifier of a question belonging to another user's content.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability enables authenticated attackers with relatively low privilege levels to persistently modify educational content across multiple courses they do not own or manage. By exploiting the missing ownership check on the answer insertion path, an attacker can inject misleading, malicious, or disruptive answers into quizzes created by other instructors. This capability undermines the integrity of online learning platforms where accurate assessment data is paramount. The impact extends beyond simple defacement; it compromises the trustworthiness of certification processes and educational outcomes associated with affected courses. Since LearnPress is widely used for e-learning and course management, this flaw can affect a broad range of institutions and businesses relying on the plugin for structured content delivery.
In terms of threat modeling, this vulnerability aligns with MITRE ATT&CK techniques related to Privilege Escalation and Defense Evasion, specifically leveraging valid credentials to perform unauthorized actions within an application's logic layer. The attack vector is remote but requires authentication, which classifies it as a high-impact internal threat or compromised account scenario rather than a purely external unauthenticated exploit. Attackers can automate this process using standard web request tools once they have obtained instructor-level access through credential stuffing, phishing, or other means of initial compromise.
Mitigation strategies must prioritize immediate software updates and rigorous input validation practices. The most effective remediation is to upgrade the LearnPress plugin to version 4.4.6 or later, where this authorization check has been implemented. For organizations unable to patch immediately due to compatibility constraints, implementing a Web Application Firewall rule that monitors for anomalous patterns in answer submission endpoints may provide temporary relief by detecting requests with question IDs not associated with the submitting user's known course inventory. Additionally, developers should enforce strict object-level access controls across all CRUD operations involving shared resources like quizzes and questions, ensuring that every data modification request verifies both authentication status and explicit ownership or permission grants before execution. Regular security audits focusing on authorization logic are essential to prevent similar flaws in future updates.