CVE-2026-14187 Overview
CVE-2026-14187 is a broken access control vulnerability in the Tutor LMS WordPress plugin versions prior to 4.0.6. The plugin fails to enforce per-object ownership checks on its course content type. Any authenticated user with the instructor role can read the content of private courses belonging to other instructors. The flaw is categorized under [CWE-639] as an authorization bypass through user-controlled key. Exploitation requires authenticated access with instructor privileges but no user interaction.
Critical Impact
Authenticated instructors can access private course content owned by other instructors, resulting in unauthorized disclosure of proprietary educational materials.
Affected Products
- Tutor LMS WordPress plugin versions before 4.0.6
- WordPress sites running the vulnerable plugin with multiple instructor accounts
- Learning management deployments relying on Tutor LMS course privacy controls
Discovery Timeline
- 2026-08-22 - CVE-2026-14187 published to NVD
- 2026-08-26 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2026-14187
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability resides in how Tutor LMS handles requests to read courses content objects. The plugin exposes course records through its content type endpoints but does not verify that the requesting instructor owns the target course. An instructor authenticated to the WordPress site can substitute the course identifier in a request and retrieve content marked as private by another instructor.
This is an Insecure Direct Object Reference pattern. The application trusts the object identifier supplied by the client without a corresponding ownership check on the server. The impact is limited to confidentiality of course content. Integrity and availability are unaffected.
Root Cause
The root cause is a missing per-object authorization check on the course content type within the Tutor LMS access control layer. The plugin verifies that the caller has the instructor role but stops short of confirming that the caller is the owner of the specific course being requested. This omission maps directly to [CWE-639] Authorization Bypass Through User-Controlled Key.
Attack Vector
Exploitation requires an authenticated account with the instructor role on the target WordPress site. The attacker issues a request referencing the course identifier of a private course owned by a different instructor. Because ownership is not validated, the server returns the private course content. No user interaction is required beyond the attacker's own authenticated session. See the WPScan Vulnerability Report for technical details.
Detection Methods for CVE-2026-14187
Indicators of Compromise
- Requests from instructor accounts referencing course identifiers they do not own
- Unusual spikes in course content read operations from a single instructor session
- Access to private course records outside the instructor's assigned course list
Detection Strategies
- Correlate WordPress access logs with the Tutor LMS course ownership table to flag cross-instructor reads
- Enable audit logging on the Tutor LMS REST endpoints handling the course content type
- Alert on any successful response returning course content where the requester is not the assigned instructor
Monitoring Recommendations
- Monitor the running version of Tutor LMS across all WordPress sites and confirm it is 4.0.6 or later
- Track instructor account creation events and review privileges assigned to new instructors
- Review WordPress plugin update logs to confirm the patched version is deployed on every host
How to Mitigate CVE-2026-14187
Immediate Actions Required
- Upgrade Tutor LMS to version 4.0.6 or later on all WordPress installations
- Audit existing instructor accounts and remove any that are not required
- Review access logs for prior unauthorized reads of private course content
Patch Information
The vendor addressed the issue in Tutor LMS 4.0.6 by adding per-object ownership checks on the course content type. Site administrators should apply the update through the WordPress plugin manager or via wp-cli. Refer to the WPScan Vulnerability Report for the advisory reference.
Workarounds
- Restrict the instructor role to trusted users only until the patch is applied
- Temporarily disable the Tutor LMS plugin on sites where an immediate upgrade is not feasible
- Move sensitive course content out of the platform until the patched version is in production
# Update Tutor LMS via WP-CLI
wp plugin update tutor --version=4.0.6
wp plugin list --name=tutor --fields=name,status,version
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
