LifterLMS <= 10.3.1 - Authenticated (Contributor+) Local File Inclusion via 'lifterlms_checkout' Shortcode Attributes
Strategic Overview
- Status
- Patched in 10.3.2
- Affected Plugin
- LifterLMS – WP LMS for eLearning, Online Courses, & Quizzes
- Affected Version
<= 10.3.1- CVSS
- 7.5High
- Weakness type
- CWE-98 · Improper Control of Filename for Include/Require Statement in PHP Program ('PHP Remote File Inclusion')
- CVE
CVE-2026-110284
At a glance
CVE-2026-110284 is a high-severity Improper Control of Filename for Include/Require Statement in PHP Program ('PHP Remote File Inclusion') vulnerability in the LifterLMS WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 10.3.1. It carries a CVSS score of 7.5 (reachable over the network; high confidentiality, integrity, availability impact). Exploitation requires an authenticated account at Contributor level or above. The issue is fixed in version 10.3.2; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed October 2026, reported by Adrien Brunner.
Vulnerability Overview
The LifterLMS – WP LMS for eLearning, Online Courses, & Quizzes plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Local File Inclusion in versions up to, and including, 10.3.1 via attacker-controlled attributes of the [lifterlms_checkout] shortcode. This is due to the llms_get_template() helper performing extract() on the shortcode attribute array before resolving the template path, which allows the attacker-supplied 'template_name' and 'default_path' shortcode attributes to overwrite the function's local parameters and ultimately control the path passed to a PHP include. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Instructor-level access and above, to include and execute arbitrary files on the server, that can be used to bypass access controls, obtain sensitive data, or achieve code execution in cases where files with safe extensions containing attacker-controlled content can be uploaded and included.
Technical Analysis
The vector marks this flaw as remotely reachable over the network, and no interaction from a victim user. A successful exploit has high impact on confidentiality, integrity, availability — full site compromise territory.
CWE-98: Improper Control of Filename for Include/Require Statement in PHP Program ('PHP Remote File Inclusion')
LifterLMS <= 10.3.1 carries this weakness at template_name, and reaching it takes an account at Contributor level or above. PHP file inclusion means a path used by include or require is built from request data, so the file that gets executed is under the caller's influence.
Including an attacker-influenced file executes its contents, which is why this class is routinely chained with an upload or log-poisoning step to reach code execution. For LifterLMS the fix is 10.3.2: builds <= 10.3.1 are affected, anything from 10.3.2 onward is not.
Remediation
Update to version 10.3.2, or a newer patched version
How does WordSec protect against this?
An attacker needs Contributor access first, so the firewall sees the attempt as traffic from a logged-in account: WordSec's web application firewall inspects request payloads before WordPress loads them. Classes like this one can leave something behind, so the staged malware scanner is the second half: it looks for dropped files and modified code rather than for the request that created them. None of that substitutes for the fix: LifterLMS 10.3.2 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.
- Firewall
- Scanner
- Alerts
External References
Related records
Other vulnerabilities in LifterLMS – WP LMS for eLearning, Online Courses, & Quizzes
- 9.8CVE-2020-6008: LifterLMS Wordpress Plugin Arbitrary File Write
CVE-2020-6008 - 9.8CVE-2019-15896: LMS by LifterLMS <= 3.35.0 Stored Cross-Site Scripting
CVE-2019-15896 - 8.8CVE-2026-104723: LifterLMS <= 10.2.1 PHP Object Injection
CVE-2026-104723 - 8.8CVE-2025-11923: LifterLMS Various Versions - Authenticated (Student+)
CVE-2025-11923 - 8.8CVE-2024-4743: LifterLMS – WordPress LMS for eLearning SQL Injection
CVE-2024-4743 - 7.5CVE-2025-52717: LifterLMS <= 8.0.6 SQL Injection
CVE-2025-52717 - 7.5CVE-2021-24562: LMS by LifterLMS IDOR
CVE-2021-24562 - 7.2CVE-2024-7349: LifterLMS <= 7.7.5 SQL Injection
CVE-2024-7349
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