CVE-2023-25800 – This SQL injection vulnerability in the Tutor L... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2023-25800?

CVE-2023-25800 has a CVSS score of 8.8 (HIGH). This SQL injection vulnerability in the Tutor LMS WordPress plugin allows attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands on the database. It affects all Tutor LMS installations up to version 2.2.0, potentially compromising student data and system integrity.

📋 TL;DR

This SQL injection vulnerability in the Tutor LMS WordPress plugin allows attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands on the database. It affects all Tutor LMS installations up to version 2.2.0, potentially compromising student data and system integrity.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

WordPress Tutor LMS Plugin

Versions: All versions up to and including 2.2.0

Operating Systems: Any OS running WordPress

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Affects WordPress installations with Tutor LMS plugin enabled. No special configuration required for exploitation.

📦 What is this software?

Tutor Lms by Themeum

View all CVEs affecting Tutor Lms →

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Complete database compromise leading to data theft, data manipulation, privilege escalation, or full system takeover via subsequent attacks.

🟠

Likely Case

Unauthorized access to student records, grade manipulation, user data exfiltration, or injection of malicious content.

🟢

If Mitigated

Limited impact with proper input validation, parameterized queries, and database user privilege restrictions in place.

🌐 Internet-Facing: HIGH

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ⚠️ Yes

Weaponized: LIKELY

Unauthenticated Exploit: ⚠️ Yes

Complexity: LOW

SQL injection vulnerabilities are commonly exploited with automated tools. Public proof-of-concept exists via Patchstack references.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: 2.2.1 or later

Vendor Advisory: https://patchstack.com/database/vulnerability/tutor/wordpress-tutor-lms-plugin-2-1-10-multiple-student-sql-injection-vulnerability?_s_id=cve

Restart Required: No

Instructions:

1. Log into WordPress admin panel. 2. Navigate to Plugins → Installed Plugins. 3. Find Tutor LMS and click 'Update Now'. 4. Verify update to version 2.2.1 or higher.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Temporary Plugin Deactivation

all

Disable Tutor LMS plugin until patched to prevent exploitation

wp plugin deactivate tutor

Web Application Firewall Rules

all

Implement WAF rules to block SQL injection patterns targeting Tutor LMS endpoints

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Implement strict input validation and parameterized queries in custom code
Restrict database user permissions to minimum required privileges

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check Tutor LMS plugin version in WordPress admin panel under Plugins → Installed Plugins

Check Version:

wp plugin get tutor --field=version

Verify Fix Applied:

Confirm Tutor LMS version is 2.2.1 or higher after update

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Unusual SQL error messages in WordPress logs
Multiple failed login attempts followed by SQL queries
Unexpected database queries from web server IP

Network Indicators:

HTTP requests with SQL syntax in parameters to Tutor LMS endpoints
Unusual outbound database connections from web server

SIEM Query:

source="wordpress.log" AND ("SQL syntax" OR "mysql_error" OR "database error") AND "tutor"

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2023-25800

CVSS v3 Score: 8.8 (HIGH)

CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CWE: CWE-89

Published: November 3, 2023

Last Updated: November 21, 2024

🔗 References

📤 Share & Export

📄 Export Markdown 📋 Export JSON

🔗 Related Vulnerabilities

If you're affected by CVE-2023-25800, you might also want to check these: