CVE-2024-12584 is a vulnerability classified under CWE-200 (Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor) affecting the WordPress plugin '140+ Widgets | Xpro Addons For Elementor – FREE' in all versions up to 1.4.6.2. The vulnerability arises from improper access control in the plugin's 'duplicate' function, which allows authenticated users with Contributor-level permissions or higher to access sensitive content that should normally be restricted. Specifically, attackers can extract data from posts that are in draft, scheduled for future publication, private, or password protected. This exposure occurs because the duplication process does not adequately verify the user's authorization to view or duplicate such content. The vulnerability requires authentication but no additional user interaction, making it easier for insiders or compromised accounts with Contributor privileges to exploit. The CVSS v3.1 score is 4.3 (medium severity), with an attack vector of network, low attack complexity, privileges required at the Contributor level, no user interaction, and limited confidentiality impact without affecting integrity or availability. No patches or fixes have been published at the time of disclosure, and no known exploits have been observed in the wild. The vulnerability affects a widely used WordPress plugin popular among website builders using Elementor, a leading page builder plugin, increasing the potential exposure for websites relying on this plugin for enhanced widget functionality.

The primary impact of CVE-2024-12584 is unauthorized disclosure of sensitive content within WordPress sites using the affected plugin. This can lead to leakage of unpublished or confidential information such as draft posts, future scheduled content, private posts, and password-protected content. For organizations, this could mean exposure of sensitive business plans, internal communications, or proprietary information before intended publication. Since exploitation requires Contributor-level access, the threat is significant in environments where Contributor roles are assigned to multiple users or where accounts may be compromised. The vulnerability does not affect data integrity or availability, limiting its impact to confidentiality breaches. However, the exposure of sensitive information can lead to reputational damage, loss of competitive advantage, or compliance violations, especially for organizations handling regulated or sensitive content. The lack of a patch increases the risk window, and attackers with insider access or compromised Contributor accounts can exploit this vulnerability to gain unauthorized insights into protected content.

To mitigate CVE-2024-12584, organizations should immediately review and restrict Contributor-level access to trusted users only, minimizing the number of accounts with permissions sufficient to exploit this vulnerability. Implement strict user access management and monitor Contributor activities for unusual duplication or content access patterns. Disable or remove the '140+ Widgets | Xpro Addons For Elementor – FREE' plugin if it is not essential, or replace it with alternative plugins that do not exhibit this vulnerability. Until an official patch is released, consider applying custom access control rules or filters in WordPress to prevent unauthorized duplication of draft, scheduled, private, or password-protected posts. Regularly update WordPress core and plugins to the latest versions once a fix becomes available. Employ security plugins that can detect and alert on suspicious behavior related to content duplication or unauthorized data access. Additionally, conduct security awareness training for users with Contributor or higher privileges to recognize and report suspicious activities.