CVE-2026-3079: LearnDash LMS WordPress SQLi Vulnerability

CVE-2026-3079 Overview

The LearnDash LMS plugin for WordPress contains a blind time-based SQL Injection vulnerability in the filters[orderby_order] parameter within the learndash_propanel_template AJAX action. This security flaw affects all versions up to and including 5.0.3 and allows authenticated attackers with Contributor-level access or higher to extract sensitive information from the WordPress database.

Critical Impact

Authenticated attackers can exploit this SQL Injection vulnerability to extract sensitive data from the database, potentially compromising user credentials, course information, and other confidential data stored in the WordPress installation.

Affected Products

• LearnDash LMS WordPress Plugin versions up to and including 5.0.3
• WordPress installations running vulnerable LearnDash LMS versions
• Sites using LearnDash ProPanel functionality

Discovery Timeline

• March 24, 2026 - CVE-2026-3079 published to NVD
• March 24, 2026 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-3079

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-89 (SQL Injection), one of the most critical web application security flaws. The LearnDash LMS plugin fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input in the filters[orderby_order] parameter before incorporating it into SQL queries. The vulnerability specifically manifests as a blind time-based SQL injection, meaning attackers cannot directly see the results of their injected queries but can infer information based on the response timing of the application.

The attack requires network access and authenticated access with at least Contributor-level privileges in WordPress. While this authentication requirement limits the attack surface compared to unauthenticated vulnerabilities, any user with a Contributor account can exploit this flaw. The vulnerability impacts the confidentiality of the database, allowing full extraction of sensitive information without affecting data integrity or system availability.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability lies in insufficient input validation and improper SQL query construction within the LearnDash LMS plugin. Specifically, the filters[orderby_order] parameter is passed to SQL queries without adequate escaping or parameterization. The plugin fails to use WordPress's prepared statement functionality ($wpdb->prepare()) properly, allowing malicious SQL syntax to be injected into the ORDER BY clause of existing database queries.

The vulnerable code paths can be traced through multiple files including ld-reports.php, class-ld-propanel-activity.php, and class-ld-propanel-base-widget.php as referenced in the WordPress Plugin Code References.

Attack Vector

The attack is executed through the WordPress AJAX interface by targeting the learndash_propanel_template action. An authenticated attacker with Contributor-level access can craft malicious requests containing SQL injection payloads in the filters[orderby_order] parameter. Since this is a blind time-based injection, attackers typically use conditional time delays (such as SLEEP() or BENCHMARK() functions in MySQL) to extract data one character at a time by measuring response times.

For detailed technical analysis of this vulnerability, refer to the Wordfence Vulnerability Analysis. The attack mechanism involves injecting SQL payloads that cause the database to pause execution conditionally, allowing attackers to enumerate database contents through timing-based inference.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-3079

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual AJAX requests to admin-ajax.php with action=learndash_propanel_template containing malformed filters[orderby_order] parameters
• SQL syntax patterns in HTTP request parameters such as SLEEP(), BENCHMARK(), WAITFOR, or conditional expressions
• Database query logs showing abnormally long execution times on LearnDash-related queries
• Repeated requests from the same authenticated user session with incrementing or binary-search style parameter variations

Detection Strategies

• Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect SQL injection patterns in the filters[orderby_order] parameter
• Monitor WordPress AJAX endpoints for suspicious parameter patterns containing SQL keywords
• Enable slow query logging on the database server to detect timing-based attacks causing artificial delays
• Deploy endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions to monitor for automated SQL injection tool signatures

Monitoring Recommendations

• Configure real-time alerting for WordPress AJAX requests containing SQL metacharacters such as quotes, semicolons, and comment sequences
• Monitor database performance metrics for anomalous query execution times that may indicate time-based injection attempts
• Review WordPress user activity logs for Contributor-level accounts making unusual numbers of AJAX requests
• Establish baseline metrics for LearnDash ProPanel API response times to detect statistical anomalies

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-3079

Immediate Actions Required

• Update LearnDash LMS plugin to a patched version newer than 5.0.3 immediately
• Audit all WordPress user accounts and revoke Contributor-level access from untrusted users until the patch is applied
• Review database access logs for any evidence of exploitation attempts
• Consider temporarily disabling the LearnDash ProPanel feature if an immediate update is not possible

Patch Information

LearnDash has released security updates addressing this vulnerability. Administrators should update to the latest version available through the WordPress plugin repository or directly from the LearnDash Official Website. Review the LearnDash Changelog for specific version information and patch details.

Workarounds

• Restrict access to the WordPress admin area using IP allowlisting at the web server or firewall level
• Implement additional authentication requirements for accessing LearnDash ProPanel functionality
• Deploy a Web Application Firewall with SQL injection detection rules to filter malicious requests
• Temporarily disable AJAX functionality for the LearnDash plugin by adding filters to block the learndash_propanel_template action

# Example wp-config.php hardening - restrict AJAX access
# Add to .htaccess to limit admin-ajax.php access by IP
<Files admin-ajax.php>
    Order Deny,Allow
    Deny from all
    Allow from YOUR_TRUSTED_IP
</Files>