The vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-15521 affects the Academy LMS plugin for WordPress, a widely used learning management system plugin designed to provide a complete eLearning solution. The core issue stems from improper authorization checks when updating user passwords. Specifically, the plugin relies solely on a publicly exposed nonce value for authorization, without verifying the identity of the user requesting the password change. This design flaw allows unauthenticated attackers to exploit the password update mechanism to change the passwords of arbitrary users, including administrators. As a result, attackers can gain unauthorized access to accounts, effectively escalating privileges and potentially taking over the entire LMS environment. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-639, which relates to authorization bypass through user-controlled keys. The CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.8 (critical) reflects the vulnerability's high impact and ease of exploitation: it requires no authentication (AV:N), no user interaction (UI:N), and has low attack complexity (AC:L). The impact includes full compromise of confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected system. Although no public exploits have been reported yet, the vulnerability's nature makes it a prime target for attackers seeking to compromise eLearning platforms. The vulnerability affects all versions up to and including 3.5.0 of the plugin, with no patches currently available at the time of reporting. The plugin’s widespread use in educational institutions and corporate training environments increases the risk profile for organizations relying on this software.

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability is significant. Educational institutions, corporate training departments, and eLearning providers using the Academy LMS plugin are at risk of unauthorized account takeover, including administrative accounts. This can lead to unauthorized access to sensitive educational content, personal data of students and staff, and potentially the entire WordPress environment hosting the LMS. Attackers could manipulate course content, disrupt learning activities, or exfiltrate confidential information. The compromise of administrator accounts can also facilitate further lateral movement within the network or deployment of malware. Given the critical nature of the vulnerability and the ease of exploitation, the potential for widespread disruption and data breaches is high. Additionally, organizations may face regulatory consequences under GDPR if personal data is compromised. The lack of a patch at the time of disclosure increases the urgency for interim protective measures. The reputational damage and operational downtime resulting from exploitation could be severe, especially for institutions relying heavily on digital learning platforms.

1. Immediate mitigation should focus on restricting access to the password update functionality within the plugin, such as limiting it to authenticated users or specific IP ranges via web application firewall (WAF) rules. 2. Monitor logs for unusual password change requests or account lockouts that could indicate exploitation attempts. 3. Disable or remove the vulnerable plugin if feasible until a patch is released. 4. Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) on all administrative accounts to reduce the risk of account takeover even if passwords are changed. 5. Regularly back up LMS data and WordPress configurations to enable rapid recovery in case of compromise. 6. Stay informed on vendor updates and apply patches immediately once available. 7. Conduct a thorough audit of user accounts and permissions to identify any unauthorized changes post-disclosure. 8. Educate administrators and users about the vulnerability and encourage vigilance for suspicious activity. 9. Consider deploying additional endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions to detect lateral movement or malicious activity following exploitation. 10. Review and harden WordPress security configurations, including limiting plugin installations to trusted sources and minimizing plugin usage.