CVE-2024-12532 is a vulnerability classified under CWE-200 (Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor) found in the BWD Elementor Addons plugin for WordPress, which includes a wide range of widgets such as Meet The Team, Lottie, Woocommerce, Theme Builder, and others. The flaw exists in the file widgets/bwdeb-content-switcher.php and affects all plugin versions up to and including 4.3.18. The vulnerability allows authenticated attackers with at least Contributor-level privileges to retrieve sensitive template data that is private, pending, or in draft status. This is due to insufficient access control checks on the data retrieval functionality within the plugin, enabling unauthorized reading of unpublished content. The attack vector is network-based and does not require user interaction, but it does require authentication with Contributor or higher privileges, which are commonly granted to users who can submit content but not publish it. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 4.3, reflecting low complexity and no user interaction needed, but limited impact confined to confidentiality. No integrity or availability impacts are reported. No patches or known exploits are currently available, but the vulnerability poses a risk of information leakage that could be leveraged for further attacks or data harvesting.

The primary impact of CVE-2024-12532 is unauthorized disclosure of sensitive unpublished content within WordPress sites using the BWD Elementor Addons plugin. This can lead to leakage of confidential business information, unpublished marketing materials, or private user data embedded in templates. Attackers with Contributor-level access, which is a common role for content creators or external collaborators, can exploit this to gain insights into internal workflows or steal intellectual property. Although the vulnerability does not affect data integrity or site availability, the exposure of sensitive information can undermine trust, violate privacy policies, and potentially facilitate social engineering or targeted attacks. Organizations relying on this plugin for content management and e-commerce (via Woocommerce integration) may face reputational damage and compliance risks if sensitive data is leaked. The lack of public exploits reduces immediate risk, but the vulnerability remains exploitable in environments where Contributor access is granted to untrusted users.

To mitigate CVE-2024-12532, organizations should first restrict Contributor-level access to trusted users only, minimizing the attack surface. Administrators should audit user roles and permissions to ensure that only necessary personnel have Contributor or higher privileges. Until an official patch is released, consider disabling or removing the BWD Elementor Addons plugin if feasible, especially on sites with sensitive unpublished content. Implement monitoring and alerting for unusual access patterns to template data or content-switcher endpoints. Employ web application firewalls (WAFs) with custom rules to detect and block suspicious requests targeting the vulnerable widget. Regularly back up site data and maintain an incident response plan for potential data exposure events. Stay updated with vendor announcements for patches or updates addressing this vulnerability and apply them promptly once available. Additionally, review and harden WordPress security configurations, including limiting plugin installations and enforcing strong authentication.