CVE-2025-12099 is a vulnerability classified under CWE-502 (Deserialization of Untrusted Data) found in the Academy LMS – WordPress LMS Plugin for Complete eLearning Solution. The flaw exists in all versions up to and including 3.3.8, specifically within the 'import_all_courses' function, which improperly deserializes untrusted input. This unsafe deserialization allows an authenticated attacker with administrator privileges to inject a crafted PHP object. However, the vulnerability's impact depends on the presence of a Property Oriented Programming (POP) gadget chain in other installed plugins or themes, as the vulnerable plugin itself does not contain a POP chain. If such a chain exists, the attacker can leverage it to perform malicious actions such as arbitrary file deletion, sensitive data retrieval, or remote code execution. The vulnerability requires no user interaction but does require high privileges (administrator). The CVSS 3.1 score of 7.2 reflects a high severity due to network attack vector, low attack complexity, and high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. No public exploits are known at this time, but the risk is significant in environments where multiple plugins/themes coexist, increasing the likelihood of POP chains. The vulnerability was published on November 8, 2025, and no patches are currently linked, indicating the need for vigilance and proactive mitigation by administrators.

For European organizations, especially those relying on WordPress-based eLearning platforms, this vulnerability poses a significant risk. Successful exploitation could lead to full compromise of the LMS environment, resulting in unauthorized access to sensitive educational data, deletion or alteration of course content, and potential lateral movement within the network. This could disrupt educational services, damage organizational reputation, and lead to regulatory compliance issues under GDPR due to data breaches. The requirement for administrator-level access limits the attack surface but insider threats or compromised admin accounts could be leveraged. The dependency on additional plugins/themes for POP chains means complex WordPress setups are at higher risk. Given the widespread use of WordPress and LMS solutions in Europe, particularly in countries with strong eLearning adoption, the impact could be broad and severe if exploited.

1. Monitor for and apply security patches from the Academy LMS plugin vendor as soon as they become available. 2. Conduct a thorough audit of all installed WordPress plugins and themes to identify and remove or update those containing known POP gadget chains. 3. Restrict administrator access strictly to trusted personnel and implement strong authentication mechanisms such as multi-factor authentication (MFA). 4. Employ web application firewalls (WAF) with rules designed to detect and block deserialization attacks and suspicious payloads. 5. Regularly back up LMS data and verify backup integrity to enable recovery in case of compromise. 6. Use security plugins that monitor for unauthorized changes or suspicious activity within the WordPress environment. 7. Educate administrators about the risks of installing untrusted plugins/themes and encourage minimal plugin usage to reduce attack surface. 8. Implement network segmentation to limit the impact of a compromised LMS server on broader organizational infrastructure.