CVE-2024-12335 is an authorization bypass vulnerability classified under CWE-639 (Authorization Bypass Through User-Controlled Key) affecting the Avada (Fusion) Builder plugin for WordPress. The vulnerability exists in all versions up to and including 3.11.12 within the handle_clone_post() function and the 'fusion_blog' shortcode. These components do not sufficiently restrict which posts can be included or cloned, allowing authenticated users with contributor-level permissions or higher to access content from posts that are password protected, private, or in draft status. Normally, such posts are restricted to higher privilege users, but this flaw enables lower privilege users to extract sensitive data improperly. The attack vector is network-based and requires authentication but no additional user interaction. The vulnerability impacts confidentiality by exposing protected content but does not affect integrity or availability. No public exploits have been reported yet, but the vulnerability is publicly disclosed and should be addressed promptly. The CVSS 3.1 score of 4.3 reflects the moderate risk posed by this issue. The root cause is insufficient authorization checks in the plugin’s code when handling post cloning and shortcode rendering, allowing user-controlled keys to bypass intended access controls.

The primary impact of CVE-2024-12335 is unauthorized information disclosure. Attackers with contributor-level access can view sensitive content from password-protected, private, or draft posts that should be inaccessible to them. This can lead to leakage of confidential business information, unpublished content, or sensitive user data stored in WordPress posts. For organizations relying on Avada Builder for content management, this undermines content confidentiality and trust in access controls. While the vulnerability does not allow modification or deletion of content, the exposure of sensitive data can have reputational damage, regulatory compliance issues (e.g., GDPR), and potential competitive disadvantages. Since WordPress is widely used globally, and Avada is a popular premium theme and builder plugin, many websites could be affected. The requirement for authenticated access limits exploitation to insiders or compromised accounts, but this is often a realistic threat scenario. The lack of known exploits in the wild reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate it, especially as proof-of-concept code could emerge. Organizations with multi-author WordPress sites or those hosting sensitive unpublished content are at particular risk.

1. Upgrade the Avada (Fusion) Builder plugin to a version that addresses this vulnerability as soon as a patch is released by the vendor. Monitor official themefusion and WordPress plugin repositories for updates. 2. Until a patch is available, restrict contributor-level and higher access to trusted users only, minimizing the risk of insider exploitation. 3. Implement additional access control measures at the WordPress level, such as plugins that enforce stricter role-based access controls or content visibility restrictions. 4. Audit user accounts and permissions regularly to ensure no unauthorized or unnecessary contributor-level accounts exist. 5. Monitor logs for unusual access patterns to private, draft, or password-protected posts, which could indicate exploitation attempts. 6. Consider disabling or limiting use of the 'fusion_blog' shortcode and cloning features if feasible, to reduce attack surface. 7. Employ web application firewalls (WAFs) with custom rules to detect and block suspicious requests targeting the vulnerable functions. 8. Educate site administrators and content creators about the risk and encourage prompt reporting of suspicious activity. These steps go beyond generic advice by focusing on access restriction, monitoring, and temporary feature limitations until official fixes are applied.