CVE-2026-4484

High

Published: 26 March 2026

Published

26 March 2026

Modified

24 April 2026

KEV Added

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Patch

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CVSS Score 8.8 CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

EPSS Score 0.0005 14.7th percentile

Risk Priority 18 60% EPSS · 20% KEV · 20% CVSS

Summary

CVE-2026-4484 is a high-severity Missing Authorization (CWE-862) vulnerability in Wordpress (inferred from references). Its CVSS base score is 8.8 (High).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Exploitation for Privilege Escalation (T1068); ranked at the 14.7th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

The strongest mitigations our analysis identified are NIST 800-53 AC-3 (Access Enforcement) and AC-6 (Least Privilege).

Threat & Defense at a Glance

What attackers do: exploitation maps to Exploitation for Privilege Escalation (T1068). What defenders deploy: see the NIST 800-53 controls recommended below.

Threat & Defense Details

Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5)AI

AC-3 Access Enforcement good match

prevent

Enforces approved authorizations for access to resources, directly countering the missing authorization in InstructorsController::prepare_object_for_database that allows unauthorized user role updates.

AC-6 Least Privilege good match

prevent

Implements least privilege to restrict users to only necessary permissions, preventing student-level users from escalating to administrator privileges via the vulnerable function.

SI-2 Flaw Remediation good match

prevent

Requires timely identification, reporting, and correction of flaws like CVE-2026-4484, mandating updates to Masteriyo LMS beyond version 2.1.6 to eliminate the privilege escalation vulnerability.

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise TechniquesAI

T1068 Exploitation for Privilege Escalation Privilege Escalation

Adversaries may exploit software vulnerabilities in an attempt to elevate privileges.

attack.mitre.org →

Why these techniques?

The vulnerability is a missing authorization flaw in a WordPress plugin REST endpoint that directly allows an authenticated low-privileged user to modify their own role to administrator, matching the definition of Exploitation for Privilege Escalation.

Confidence: HIGH · MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise v18.1

NVD Description

The Masteriyo LMS plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Privilege Escalation in all versions up to, and including, 2.1.6. This is due to the plugin allowing a user to update the user role through the 'InstructorsController::prepare_object_for_database' function. This makes it…

possible for authenticated attackers, with Student-level access and above, to elevate their privileges to that of an administrator.

Deeper analysisAI

CVE-2026-4484 is a privilege escalation vulnerability in the Masteriyo LMS plugin for WordPress, affecting all versions up to and including 2.1.6. The flaw arises in the 'InstructorsController::prepare_object_for_database' function, which improperly allows users to update user roles, enabling unauthorized privilege changes. It is classified under CWE-862 (Missing Authorization) and carries a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.8 (AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H), indicating high severity due to its potential for significant impact.

Authenticated attackers with Student-level access or higher can exploit this vulnerability remotely over the network with low complexity and no user interaction. By leveraging the affected function, they can elevate their privileges to administrator level, gaining full control over the WordPress site, including access to sensitive data, user management, and plugin configurations.

Advisories and mitigation guidance are detailed in key references, including the Wordfence threat intelligence report at https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/265be0af-66a4-4636-ab81-f8e2c5a1282e?source=cve, the vulnerable code at https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/learning-management-system/tags/2.1.6/includes/RestApi/Controllers/Version1/InstructorsController.php#L305, and the fix in changeset 3490792 at https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/3490792/learning-management-system/trunk/includes/RestApi/Controllers/Version1/InstructorsController.php. Security practitioners should update to a patched version beyond 2.1.6 and review access controls in REST API endpoints.