CVE-2026-5502
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedThe 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.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceThe Tutor LMS plugin for WordPress has a missing authorization vulnerability in the tutor_update_course_content_order() function. The function only validates a nonce for CSRF protection but fails to verify user permissions before executing save_course_content_order(). When the 'content_parent' parameter is omitted from the request, the can_user_manage() authorization check is bypassed entirely, allowing any authenticated user with subscriber-level access to manipulate the wp_posts table and disrupt course structure.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- Low
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify Tutor LMS plugin installationCheck for the Tutor LMS plugin in WordPress by looking for the plugin directory at wp-content/plugins/tutor/ or by viewing the installed plugins list in WordPress admin under PluginsAffected if Tutor LMS plugin is installed and active
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Determine installed Tutor LMS versionAccess WordPress admin, go to Plugins section, find Tutor LMS and note the version number displayed, or check the main plugin file header in wp-content/plugins/tutor/tutor.php for the Version fieldAffected if Version is earlier than the patched version containing the authorization fix for tutor_update_course_content_order()
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Locate the vulnerable functionExamine the file containing tutor_update_course_content_order() function (typically in tutor/includes/ or similar path within the plugin). Search for the function definition and verify the authorization logic before save_course_content_order() is calledAffected if The function exists and lacks a proper can_user_manage() permission check before executing the save operation
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Verify authorization bypass conditionInspect the code logic that handles the 'content_parent' parameter. Check if can_user_manage() is called only when 'content_parent' is present, leaving it uncalled (and thus bypassed) when the parameter is omittedAffected if The code conditionally calls can_user_manage() based on 'content_parent' presence, allowing bypass when the parameter is omitted
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Confirm user role vulnerabilityTest with a low-privilege user (subscriber role) by submitting a request to the tutor_update_course_content_order() endpoint without the 'content_parent' parameter, using a valid nonceAffected if An authenticated user with subscriber-level access can successfully modify course content order in the wp_posts table without proper authorization
If Tutor LMS is installed and the version lacks the unconditional can_user_manage() check before save_course_content_order(), any authenticated user can manipulate course structure, indicating the environment is affected by CVE-2026-5502.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
dbcve · scopedAdd proper authorization validation (can_user_manage() check) unconditionally before executing save_course_content_order(), regardless of whether the 'content_parent' parameter is present in the request.
Tutor LMS version 3.9.9 or later
- Check the current version of Tutor LMS plugin installed on the WordPress site
- Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins in the WordPress admin dashboard
- Locate Tutor LMS and note the current version
- Navigate to Plugins > Add New > Upload Plugin or check for an update via the native WordPress updater
- Update Tutor LMS to the latest available version (version 3.9.9 or later)
- Verify the update completed successfully
- Test course content functionality to ensure normal operations
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2026-5502 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2026-5502 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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