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LearnDash LMS - Security Vulnerability (CVE-2026-12483)

CVE-2026-12483

The LearnDash LMS plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Unrestricted File Type Upload in versions up to and including 5.1.5. This is due to insufficient input validation in the 'learndash_fileupload_process' function, which iterates through an entire array and validates only the first file. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with subscriber-level access and above who are enrolled in a course with assignment uploads enabled, to upload arbitrary disallowed files, including PHP files, to the server's wp-content/uploads/learndash/assignments/ directory. The uploaded files can only be used for Remote Code Execution if default server configurations have been changed to allow for execution.

CVE-2026-12483

HIGH CVSS 7.5 Published 2026-09-04 Updated 2026-09-04
AI Risk High (76/100) Active Exploit: No strong signal Published Exploit: No public exploit references Priority: P2 Urgent
Severity Band HIGH
CVSS Vector CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Affected Components 1
Reference Links 2
AI Risk Engine High (76/100)
Exploitability High
Active Exploitation No strong signal
Published Exploit Status No public exploit references

Threat Timeline

  1. 2026-09-04 CVE published and first recorded in the threat feed.
  2. 2026-09-04 Record updated with latest vulnerability metadata.
  3. 2026-09-04 AI technical context refreshed for mitigation and impact guidance.
  4. Now Monitoring for follow-up changes, linked references, and new related CVEs.

AI Context

Machine-generated threat intelligence

AI Updated 10 hours ago

AI enriched 10 hours ago (2026-09-04 18:09 UTC)

Technical Summary

The LearnDash LMS plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Unrestricted File Type Upload in versions up to and including 5.1.5. This is due to insufficient input validation in the 'learndash_fileupload_process' function, which iterates through an entire array and validates only the first file. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with subscriber-level access and above who are enrolled in a course with assignment uploads enabled, to upload arbitrary disallowed files, including PHP files, to the server's wp-content/uploads/learndash/assignments/ directory. The uploaded…

Potential Impact

Severity is HIGH (CVSS 7.5). Depending on deployment context, affected components may be exposed to unauthorized actions or data integrity risk.

Exploitability Assessment

Exploitability is assessed as High based on remote code execution potential.

Primary risk drivers: remote code execution potential

Mitigation Recommendations

Validate affected product versions, prioritize patching, and monitor references for vendor remediation guidance. If immediate patching is not possible, apply compensating controls and limit exposure of vulnerable surfaces.

Detection & Monitoring

Track authentication anomalies, unexpected file writes, and suspicious plugin API activity around affected components.

Business Impact Lens

AI risk score 76/100 (High, High) with priority P2 Urgent. Prioritize remediation where affected components process customer data, admin sessions, or Internet-exposed workflows.

Affected Products

LearnDash LMS PLUGIN · learndash-lms Affected: <= 5.1.5 Fixed version not specified

References

What to do about this

Patch promptly The consequence is significant even where an attacker needs a foothold first.

Fix it

Update LearnDash LMS to the latest available version.

Where the vendor has not published a fix yet, disable the plugin until they do.

Cannot update today? Request / payload inspection (WAF) in Hack Halt ProSecure blocks this class of attack before WordPress processes the request.

Inspect request parameters and bodies for injection, traversal and file-inclusion payloads, and refuse the request rather than logging it.

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Not sure if you are affected?

Scan your site to see whether it runs LearnDash LMS, and at which version.

Free, no installation, no account. It reads what your site already publishes, then tells you which plugins carry known vulnerabilities and what to do about each one.

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Am I affected by this vulnerability?

You are affected if your site runs LearnDash LMS.

How do I fix it?

Update LearnDash LMS to the latest available version. Where the vendor has not yet published a fix, remove or disable the plugin until they do. Until you can update, Request / payload inspection (WAF) in Hack Halt ProSecure contains this class of attack at the request layer.

What can an attacker actually do?

This is a Remote Code Execution flaw. An attacker who exploits it can run their own code on the server, which is total control of the site.