CVE-2024-13419 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting the G5Theme Benaa Framework, a WordPress theme framework that utilizes the Smart Framework. The vulnerability stems from a missing authorization check (CWE-862) in the saveOptions() and importThemeOptions() functions. These functions are responsible for saving and importing theme or plugin settings. Due to the lack of proper capability verification, authenticated users with minimal privileges—specifically Subscriber-level access or higher—can exploit this flaw to modify plugin settings. Critically, these settings include the ability to inject custom JavaScript code that executes site-wide. This stored cross-site scripting (XSS) vector allows an attacker to embed malicious scripts that run in the context of all users visiting the affected WordPress site, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or further compromise of site visitors. The vulnerability does not require user interaction beyond authentication and can be exploited remotely over the network (AV:N). The attack complexity is low (AC:L), and no additional user interaction is needed (UI:N). The scope is changed (S:C) because the vulnerability affects components beyond the attacker’s privileges, allowing privilege escalation within the site context. The confidentiality and integrity impacts are low to moderate (C:L, I:L), with no impact on availability (A:N). Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the vulnerability has been publicly disclosed and remains unpatched as of the publication date, with no available patches or mitigations from the vendor or Envato marketplace. This increases the risk of exploitation, especially on sites that have not implemented compensating controls. The vulnerability affects all versions of the Benaa Framework, indicating a broad attack surface for sites using this theme framework. Given the widespread use of WordPress in Europe and the popularity of themes sold via Envato, this vulnerability poses a tangible risk to many websites, particularly those with multiple user roles and lower privilege users who can authenticate to the site.

For European organizations, this vulnerability can lead to significant security risks, especially for businesses relying on WordPress for their web presence. The ability for low-privilege authenticated users to inject site-wide JavaScript can facilitate phishing attacks, session hijacking, and malware distribution to site visitors, undermining customer trust and potentially causing reputational damage. E-commerce sites, government portals, and media outlets using affected themes are particularly at risk, as compromise could lead to data leakage or manipulation of content. The vulnerability could also be leveraged as a foothold for further attacks within the hosting environment, potentially impacting data confidentiality and integrity. Since the vulnerability does not affect availability directly, denial-of-service is less of a concern, but the indirect consequences of trust erosion and regulatory non-compliance (e.g., GDPR) could be severe. The lack of a patch and the extended disclosure timeline increase the window of exposure, making timely mitigation critical. Organizations with multiple authenticated users, such as membership sites or intranet portals, are especially vulnerable because attackers only need subscriber-level access to exploit the flaw.

1. Immediately audit user roles and permissions on WordPress sites using the Benaa Framework to ensure that only trusted users have Subscriber-level or higher access. Remove or restrict unnecessary user accounts. 2. Implement a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with custom rules to detect and block attempts to modify theme or plugin options via the saveOptions() and importThemeOptions() endpoints. 3. Use Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to restrict the execution of unauthorized JavaScript, limiting the impact of any injected scripts. 4. Monitor logs for unusual POST requests to theme or plugin settings endpoints and for unexpected changes in theme options. 5. Consider temporarily disabling or replacing the Benaa Framework theme with a non-vulnerable alternative until an official patch is released. 6. Educate site administrators and users about the risks of granting unnecessary privileges and encourage strong authentication practices to reduce the risk of account compromise. 7. Regularly back up site data and configurations to enable rapid recovery if exploitation occurs. 8. Engage with Envato and G5Theme vendors to track patch releases and apply updates promptly once available.