What is CVE-2026-78175?

CVE-2026-78175 is Tutor LMS <= 4.0.7 - Authenticated (Subscriber+) PHP Object Injection to Remote Code Execution. The supplied enrichment data classifies it as Deserialization mapped to CWE-502 Deserialization of Untrusted Data.

Which versions are affected?

Affected product and version evidence is listed in the product table above. Current public advisories should be checked for exact version scope before patch targeting is finalized.

Is there active exploitation?

Active exploitation is not confirmed from current sources for CVE-2026-78175. If exploitation is not confirmed from current sources, teams should document that status and continue monitoring KEV, vendor, and telemetry updates.

No. CVE-2026-78175 is not listed in CISA KEV in the supplied enrichment data. KEV status should be monitored because it can change after initial disclosure or after exploitation becomes publicly confirmed.

Is there a public exploit?

A public PoC is not confirmed from current sources for CVE-2026-78175. Public exploit or PoC availability should raise triage priority, especially for exposed or business-critical systems.

How can defenders detect it?

Start with web/proxy/WAF logs, application logs, network IDS/IPS, EDR process telemetry, host service logs where available. Look for vulnerability-class behavior, product errors, suspicious authentication events, exploit probes, and abnormal process activity based only on evidence that applies to the affected product.

How should teams prioritize it?

Prioritize CVE-2026-78175 using CVSS 8.8, EPSS 0%, KEV status, public PoC status, and asset exposure. Internet-facing, privileged, or business-critical deployments should be handled first.

Are workarounds available?

The supplied mitigation guidance says to apply vendor patches and restrict external exposure until fixed. Fixed-version evidence is listed in the mitigation section above.

Which threat actors are linked publicly?

No public threat actor linkage is confirmed from current sources. Do not attribute exploitation to a threat actor unless the source evidence explicitly supports that linkage.

What should be done in the next 24 hours?

Identify exposed assets running affected vendor/product/version combinations. Prioritize based on EPSS, PoC availability, and external exposure. Search available logs for exploit probes, errors, authentication anomalies, or suspicious child processes matching the vulnerability class. Open remediation tickets with affected assets, owners, evidence status, and detection coverage so decisions are traceable.

highDeserialization

CVE-2026-78175

CVE-2026-78175 — Tutor LMS <= 4.0.7 - Authenticated (Subscriber+) PHP Object Injection to Remote Code Execution

Q: Which versions are affected?

Affected product and version evidence is listed in the product table above. Current public advisories should be checked for exact version scope before patch targeting is finalized.

Q: Is there active exploitation?

Active exploitation is not confirmed from current sources for CVE-2026-78175. If exploitation is not confirmed from current sources, teams should document that status and continue monitoring KEV, vendor, and telemetry updates.

Q: Is it in CISA KEV?

No. CVE-2026-78175 is not listed in CISA KEV in the supplied enrichment data. KEV status should be monitored because it can change after initial disclosure or after exploitation becomes publicly confirmed.

Q: Is there a public exploit?

A public PoC is not confirmed from current sources for CVE-2026-78175. Public exploit or PoC availability should raise triage priority, especially for exposed or business-critical systems.

Q: How can defenders detect it?

Start with web/proxy/WAF logs, application logs, network IDS/IPS, EDR process telemetry, host service logs where available. Look for vulnerability-class behavior, product errors, suspicious authentication events, exploit probes, and abnormal process activity based only on evidence that applies to the affected product.

Q: How should teams prioritize it?

Prioritize CVE-2026-78175 using CVSS 8.8, EPSS 0%, KEV status, public PoC status, and asset exposure. Internet-facing, privileged, or business-critical deployments should be handled first.

Q: Are workarounds available?

The supplied mitigation guidance says to apply vendor patches and restrict external exposure until fixed. Fixed-version evidence is listed in the mitigation section above.

Q: Which threat actors are linked publicly?

No public threat actor linkage is confirmed from current sources. Do not attribute exploitation to a threat actor unless the source evidence explicitly supports that linkage.

Q: What should be done in the next 24 hours?

Identify exposed assets running affected vendor/product/version combinations. Prioritize based on EPSS, PoC availability, and external exposure. Search available logs for exploit probes, errors, authentication anomalies, or suspicious child processes matching the vulnerability class. Open remediation tickets with affected assets, owners, evidence status, and detection coverage so decisions are traceable.

The Tutor LMS – eLearning and online course solution plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to PHP Object Injection in all versions up to, and including, 4.0.7 via the `withdraw_method_field` parameter of the `tutor_save_withdraw_account` AJAX handler. This is due to the handler lacking any capability or role check, relying solely on a nonce, while also passing attacker-supplied values through `esc_sql()`, which replaces every `%` character with a 66-byte HMAC placeholder token before the data is serialized and stored via `update_user_meta()`; when the meta is later retrieved, the placeholder is collapsed back to a single `%`, leaving serialized string length declarations 65 bytes greater than the actual content, and because array keys originate from entirely unescaped POST field names, `unserialize()` over-reads into attacker-controlled bytes, allowing injection of an arbitrary serialized object stream. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with subscriber-level access and above, to achieve remote code execution on the server by triggering the `GuzzleHttp\Cookie\FileCookieJar` POP chain, reachable via the `spl_autoload_register` loader in `TUTOR\RestAPI` which loads the plugin's own bundled PayPal Composer autoloader, writing attacker-controlled content to an attacker-specified filename. This has an unauthenticated pathway when user registration is enabled, which is common for students and teachers to register, and it requires the monetization feature to be enabled.

Published Sep 12, 2026Updated Sep 12, 2026Sources: NVD, themeum (CNA), GitHub, SOCRadar CTI

Triage

Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the scoring sources call it.

Exploitation

Unreported

no source claims exploitation

EPSS

ahead of 0% of scored CVEs

Affects

themeum

Tutor LMS – eLearning and online course solution

CVSS base

8.8

high

Remediation

The vendor's own words where we have them.

Upgrade Tutor LMS – eLearning and online course solution to a fixed release. Apply vendor patches per advisory and restrict external exposure of the affected component until patched.

First 24 hours

Ordered from the record's own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found.

Identify exposed assets running affected vendor/product/version combinations.
Prioritize based on EPSS, PoC availability, and external exposure.
Search available logs for exploit probes, errors, authentication anomalies, or suspicious child processes matching the vulnerability class.

Affected scope

Vendor, product and version as the advisories word them.

Vendor	Product	Versions	Status
themeum	Tutor LMS – eLearning and online course solution	0 to <= 4.0.7	Vulnerable

Attack characteristics

The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.

Availability

High

Confidentiality

High

Integrity

High

Scope

Unchanged

Attack Complexity

Low

Attack Vector

Network

Privileges Req

Low

User Interaction

None

Every base score collected

Sources score independently and disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.

Score	Version	Severity	Expl.	Impact	Source
8.8	CVSS 3.1	high	2.8	5.9	NVD, themeum (CNA)

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

What this weakness leads to

MITRE's own consequences and mitigations for the weakness class — the authority's wording, not guidance derived from the CVSS vector.

MITRE

CWE-502 · Deserialization of Untrusted Data

Modify Application Data
Unexpected State
DoS: Resource Consumption (CPU)
Varies by Context

Mitigation: If available, use the signing/sealing features of the programming language to assure that deserialized data has not been tainted. For example, a hash-based message authentication code (HMAC) could be used to ensure that data has not been modified.

Weakness & attack patterns

CWE-502Deserialization of Untrusted Data

Attack patterns reported against this CVE. The ATT&CK techniques below are inferred from its weakness class.

CAPEC-586 · Object Injection

Detection

Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not rules we have tested.

Prioritize edge telemetry for network-reachable Tutor LMS – eLearning and online course solution.

web/proxy/WAF logsapplication logsnetwork IDS/IPSEDR process telemetryhost service logs

Timeline

What happened to this CVE, newest first — with the readings a source repeats on a schedule counted underneath rather than listed.

2026
Added · CVSS 3.1 8.8 (AV:N)
Sep 12, 2026 · NVD
Initial · CVE published
Sep 12, 2026 · NVD
CVE published by MITRE.
Sep 12, 2026 · SOCRadar CTI
Reported · Disclosed
Sep 11, 2026 · themeum
Reported · Vendor Notified
Aug 23, 2026 · themeum

References

7 on the record

plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/tutor/tags/4.0.7/classes/RestAPI.php#L190
Vendor Advisory
plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/tutor/tags/4.0.7/classes/Withdraw.php#L204
Vendor Advisory
plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/tutor/tags/4.0.7/classes/Withdraw.php#L213
Vendor Advisory
plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/tutor/tags/4.0.7/classes/Withdraw.php#L217
Vendor Advisory
plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/tutor/tags/4.0.7/classes/Withdraw.php#L44
Vendor Advisory
plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset?reponame=&old=3690454%40tutor&new=3690454%40tutor
Vendor Advisory
www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/d0077d56-11e7-4e74-abe0-63e81db67be3?source=cve
Vendor Advisory

Elsewhere on this site

themeumevery CVE for this vendor
Deserializationsame class
CWE-502other pages naming this weakness

Not in any source we poll

Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.

No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.

Answered from this record1

What should defenders know first?

CVE-2026-78175 is Tutor LMS <= 4.0.7 - Authenticated (Subscriber+) PHP Object Injection to Remote Code Execution, a high vulnerability affecting Tutor LMS – eLearning and online course solution from themeum. The current evidence does not list it in CISA KEV, and the exploit status is: Active exploitation is not confirmed from current sources for CVE-2026-78175. Public exploit evidence is: A public PoC is not confirmed from current sources for CVE-2026-78175. The affected-version evidence is listed in the key facts and affected products tables. Defenders should first verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run those versions, then apply vendor patches or mitigations, restrict reachable attack surface, and preserve logs for detection review. CVSS 8.8 describes technical severity, while EPSS 0% helps estimate near-term exploit likelihood; neither replaces asset context. Unknown fields should remain explicit in tickets, and threat actor, IOC, victimology, or payload claims should not be added unless a cited source supports them. Monitor CISA KEV, vendor advisories, NVD changes, public PoC repositories, and internal telemetry for update triggers.