CVE-2021-24184Known exploitationPublic exploitNetwork attack vector

Student-to-Instructor escalation via unchecked AJAX actions

Published Apr 5, 2021 · Updated Aug 3, 2024

Missing authorization in Themeum Tutor LMS before 1.7.7 allows remote authenticated users to gain instructor privileges through AJAX. The instructor-approval and tutor_add_instructor AJAX handlers trust a dashboard nonce without checking capabilities, allowing students to approve themselves or create instructor accounts. Exploitation requires a student account and a nonce from the WordPress dashboard; instructor access permits course creation and potentially malicious content.

CVSS severity8.8
High
EPSS probability1.44%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationReported
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Missing authorization in Themeum Tutor LMS before 1.7.7 allows remote authenticated users to gain instructor privileges through AJAX. The instructor-approval and tutor_add_instructor AJAX handlers trust a dashboard nonce without checking capabilities, allowing students to approve themselves or create instructor accounts. Exploitation requires a student account and a nonce from the WordPress dashboard; instructor access permits course creation and potentially malicious content.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-24184
Published
Apr 5, 2021
Updated
Aug 3, 2024
Vendor
Themeum
Product
Tutor LMS
Classifications
CWE-862, T1098
Attack vector
network
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Apr 5, 2021CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 3, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=1.7.7 <1.7.7

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Themeum · Tutor LMSversion=1.7.7 <1.7.7

Published CVSS scores

8.1WordfenceCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N
8.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationReported
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-862Missing Authorization
T1098Account Manipulation

Public exploit references

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Reported exploitation

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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