CVE-2026-5502
Tutor LMS <= 3.9.8 - Authenticated (Subscriber+) Arbitrary Course Content Manipulation via tutor_update_course_content_order
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.
INFO
Published Date :
April 17, 2026, 5:16 a.m.
Last Modified :
April 17, 2026, 5:16 a.m.
Remotely Exploit :
Yes !
Source :
[email protected]
Affected Products
The following products are affected by CVE-2026-5502
vulnerability.
Even if cvefeed.io is aware of the exact versions of the
products
that
are
affected, the information is not represented in the table below.
No affected product recoded yet
CVSS Scores
| Score | Version | Severity | Vector | Exploitability Score | Impact Score | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 3.1 | MEDIUM | [email protected] |
Solution
- Update Tutor LMS to the latest version.
- Ensure proper authorization checks are implemented.
- Validate user permissions before content manipulation.
References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools
Here, you will find a curated list of external links that provide in-depth
information, practical solutions, and valuable tools related to
CVE-2026-5502.
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration
While CVE identifies
specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or
weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2026-5502 is
associated with the following CWEs:
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification
(CAPEC)
stores attack patterns, which are descriptions of the common attributes and
approaches employed by adversaries to exploit the CVE-2026-5502
weaknesses.
We scan GitHub repositories to detect new proof-of-concept exploits. Following list is a collection of public exploits and proof-of-concepts, which have been published on GitHub (sorted by the most recently updated).
Results are limited to the first 15 repositories due to potential performance issues.
The following list is the news that have been mention
CVE-2026-5502 vulnerability anywhere in the article.
The following table lists the changes that have been made to the
CVE-2026-5502 vulnerability over time.
Vulnerability history details can be useful for understanding the evolution of a vulnerability, and for identifying the most recent changes that may impact the vulnerability's severity, exploitability, or other characteristics.
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New CVE Received by [email protected]
Apr. 17, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added 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. Added CVSS V3.1 AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N Added CWE CWE-862 Added Reference https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/tutor/tags/3.9.7/classes/Course.php#L1700 Added Reference https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/tutor/tags/3.9.7/classes/Course.php#L1789 Added Reference https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/tutor/trunk/classes/Course.php#L1700 Added Reference https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/tutor/trunk/classes/Course.php#L1789 Added Reference https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/3505142/tutor/tags/3.9.9/classes/Course.php Added Reference https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/f32ae42d-dd1f-41d7-8ae4-ddec56d78ae6?source=cve