The WPLMS WordPress theme, a popular learning management system (LMS) used by educational institutions and e-learning providers, has been found to contain multiple critical vulnerabilities in its associated plugins. These flaws, discovered by Patchstack researchers, affect the WPLMS and VibeBP plugins, which are integral to the functionality of the theme. The vulnerabilities could potentially allow remote attackers to execute malicious actions, including uploading arbitrary files, escalating privileges to administrator levels, performing SQL injections, and more, posing a significant risk to affected WordPress sites.
The flaws discovered in the WPLMS theme are particularly severe, with CVE-2024-56046, which allows unauthenticated file uploads and remote code execution (RCE), receiving a critical CVSS 10.0 severity rating. Other critical vulnerabilities, including privilege escalation and SQL injection flaws, further increase the potential for exploitation. One of the most concerning aspects of these vulnerabilities is that they allow attackers to bypass restrictions, manipulate role assignments, and even execute unauthorized actions with minimal privileges, significantly increasing the likelihood of a successful attack.
For users of the WPLMS theme, Patchstack recommends immediate updates to the latest plugin versions to address these critical issues. The updated versions—WPLMS 1.9.9.5.3 and VibeBP 1.9.9.7.7—resolve the vulnerabilities and enhance the overall security of the theme. In addition to updating the plugins, Patchstack advises implementing best practices such as securing file uploads, sanitizing SQL queries, and enforcing role-based access controls to reduce the risk of similar vulnerabilities in the future.
Vibe Themes, the developer of WPLMS, has worked closely with Patchstack to address the identified vulnerabilities. Following notifications in March 2024, the developer tested and released patches to fix the security flaws. This collaboration has resulted in the successful resolution of the issues, helping ensure that users are protected from potential exploits. The findings underscore the importance of regular security updates and proactive measures to safeguard WordPress sites, particularly for those using widely deployed themes and plugins like WPLMS.
