CVE-2024-37266 – This path traversal vulnerability in Tutor LMS ... (How to Fix)

📋 TL;DR

This path traversal vulnerability in Tutor LMS WordPress plugin allows attackers to access files outside the intended directory. It affects all Tutor LMS installations from unknown versions up to 2.7.1. The vulnerability could enable unauthorized file reading on affected systems.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

WordPress Tutor LMS Plugin

Versions: n/a through 2.7.1

Operating Systems: All operating systems running WordPress

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Affects all WordPress installations using vulnerable Tutor LMS plugin versions.

📦 What is this software?

Tutor Lms by Themeum

View all CVEs affecting Tutor Lms →

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Attackers could read sensitive system files like configuration files, password files, or source code, potentially leading to further system compromise.

🟠

Likely Case

Unauthorized reading of WordPress configuration files or plugin files, potentially exposing database credentials or other sensitive information.

🟢

If Mitigated

Limited impact if proper file permissions are set and web server is configured to restrict directory traversal.

🌐 Internet-Facing: MEDIUM

🏢 Internal Only: LOW

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: UNKNOWN

Unauthenticated Exploit: ⚠️ Yes

Complexity: LOW

Path traversal vulnerabilities typically have low exploitation complexity and may be exploited without authentication.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: 2.7.2 or later

Vendor Advisory: https://patchstack.com/database/vulnerability/tutor/wordpress-tutor-lms-plugin-2-7-1-path-traversal-vulnerability

Restart Required: No

Instructions:

1. Log into WordPress admin panel
2. Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins
3. Find Tutor LMS plugin
4. Click 'Update Now' if update is available
5. Alternatively, download version 2.7.2+ from WordPress repository and manually update

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Disable Tutor LMS Plugin

all

Temporarily disable the vulnerable plugin until patched

wp plugin deactivate tutor

Web Server Directory Restrictions

linux

Configure web server to restrict directory traversal attempts

# For Apache: Ensure proper Directory/Location directives
# For Nginx: Use 'location' blocks with proper restrictions

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Implement web application firewall (WAF) rules to block path traversal patterns
Restrict file system permissions to limit what the web server user can access

🔍 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:

Verify Tutor LMS plugin version is 2.7.2 or higher after update

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Unusual file access patterns in web server logs
Requests containing '../' sequences or directory traversal attempts

Network Indicators:

HTTP requests with path traversal payloads to Tutor LMS endpoints

SIEM Query:

web_access_logs WHERE url CONTAINS '../' AND url CONTAINS 'tutor'

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2024-37266

CVSS v3 Score: 4.9 (MEDIUM)

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

CWE: CWE-22

Published: July 9, 2024

Last Updated: November 21, 2024

🔗 References

https://patchstack.com/database/vulnerability/tutor/wordpress-tutor-lms-plugin-2-7-1-path-traversal-vulnerability?_s_id=cve Third Party Advisory
https://patchstack.com/database/vulnerability/tutor/wordpress-tutor-lms-plugin-2-7-1-path-traversal-vulnerability?_s_id=cve Third Party Advisory

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🔗 Related Vulnerabilities

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