CVE-2026-5502

What is known

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.

Business impact

Successful exploitation of CVE-2026-5502, a medium vulnerability (CVSS 5.3) affecting the affected product, may affect the confidentiality, integrity or availability of the vulnerable environment. The exact impact depends on the installed version, exposed interfaces and deployment configuration.

Recommended administrator action

Confirm whether the affected product is present and compare installed versions with the vendor advisory and NVD record. Apply the vendor patch or documented mitigation; until remediation is complete, reduce exposure of affected interfaces, review relevant logs and monitor for indicators of exploitation. DataHouse can support version verification, managed patching, network exposure reduction, log review and backup validation for dedicated, cloud and colocated environments.

Sources

• NVD
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