Student-to-Administrator escalation via unchecked role update
Published Mar 26, 2026 · Updated Mar 26, 2026
Missing authorization in ThemeGrill Masteriyo LMS 2.1.6 and earlier allows remote authenticated users to gain Administrator privileges. InstructorsController::prepare_object_for_database accepts a caller-controlled role during instructor preparation without verifying permission to assign it. A Student-level account is sufficient to set its WordPress role to Administrator, granting full site administration.
Summary
What happened
Missing authorization in ThemeGrill Masteriyo LMS 2.1.6 and earlier allows remote authenticated users to gain Administrator privileges. InstructorsController::prepare_object_for_database accepts a caller-controlled role during instructor preparation without verifying permission to assign it. A Student-level account is sufficient to set its WordPress role to Administrator, granting full site administration.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-4484
- Published
- Mar 26, 2026
- Updated
- Mar 26, 2026
- Vendor
- ThemeGrill
- Product
- Masteriyo LMS
- Classifications
- CWE-862, T1068
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Mar 26, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Mar 26, 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=* <=2.1.6
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
- exploit-arsenal CVE-2026-4484 modulefunctional · demonstrated
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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