CVE-2026-5502: Auth Bypass (CVSS 5.3)

Description

The Tutor LMS – eLearning and online course solution plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized course content manipulation in versions up to and including 3.9.8. This is due to a missing authorization check in the tutor_update_course_content_order() function. The function only validates the nonce (CSRF protection) but does not verify whether the user has permission to manage course content. The can_user_manage() authorization check only executes when the 'content_parent' parameter is present in the request. When this parameter is omitted, the function proceeds directly to save_course_content_order() which manipulates the wp_posts table without any authorization validation. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers with subscriber-level access and above to detach all lessons from any topic, move lessons between topics, and modify the menu_order of course content, effectively allowing them to disrupt the structure of any course on the site.

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CVSS v3.1 Score

5.3

MEDIUM

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N

EPSS — Exploit Prediction

0.0001

Probability of exploitation

0.03%

Percentile rank

EPSS estimates the probability that this vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. A higher score means more likely to be exploited.

Weakness Type (CWE)

CWE-862 Missing Authorization

References

Other References

https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/tutor/tags/3.9.7/classes/Course.php#L1700 https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/tutor/tags/3.9.7/classes/Course.php#L1789 https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/tutor/trunk/classes/Course.php#L1700 https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/tutor/trunk/classes/Course.php#L1789 https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/3505142/tutor/tags/3.9.9/classes/Course.php https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/f32ae42d-dd1f-41d7-8ae4-ddec56d78ae6?source=cve

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-5502? +

The Tutor LMS – eLearning and online course solution plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized course content manipulation in versions up to and including 3.9.8. This is due to a missing authorization check in the tutor_update_course_content_order() function. The function only validates the nonce (CSRF protection) but does not verify whether the user has permission to manage course content. The can_user_manage() authorization check only executes when the 'content_parent' parameter is present in the request. When this parameter is omitted, the function proceeds directly to save_course_content_order() which manipulates the wp_posts table without any authorization validation. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers with subscriber-level access and above to detach all lessons from any topic, move lessons between topics, and modify the menu_order of course content, effectively allowing them to disrupt the structure of any course on the site. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.3 (MEDIUM).

How severe is CVE-2026-5502? +

CVE-2026-5502 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 5.3 out of 10, rated MEDIUM. This is a medium-severity vulnerability that should be remediated as part of regular maintenance. The EPSS score is 0.0001, placing it in the 0th percentile for exploitation probability.

How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2026-5502? +

You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.

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