Administrator lockout via unchecked user metadata update
Published Dec 12, 2024 · Updated Apr 8, 2026
Missing authorization in WP Courses LMS 3.2.21 and earlier allows remote authenticated users to alter arbitrary WordPress user metadata. The wpc_update_user_meta_option() AJAX handler accepts a target user ID, metadata key, and value without checking the caller's capability. Subscriber-level access is sufficient to rewrite wp_capabilities; setting an administrator's value to 0 blocks administrative access to the site.
Summary
What happened
Missing authorization in WP Courses LMS 3.2.21 and earlier allows remote authenticated users to alter arbitrary WordPress user metadata. The wpc_update_user_meta_option() AJAX handler accepts a target user ID, metadata key, and value without checking the caller's capability. Subscriber-level access is sufficient to rewrite wp_capabilities; setting an administrator's value to 0 blocks administrative access to the site.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2024-12172
- Published
- Dec 12, 2024
- Updated
- Apr 8, 2026
- Vendor
- HookAndHook
- Product
- WP Courses LMS
- Classifications
- CWE-862, T1098
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Dec 12, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Apr 8, 2026Record 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.
- Affected versionversion=0 <=3.2.21
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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.
Public exploit references
- RandomRobbieBF CVE-2024-12172 proof of conceptproof of concept · demonstrated
Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.
Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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