CVE-2024-9538 is a vulnerability classified under CWE-200 (Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor) affecting the ShopLentor plugin for WordPress, which is a WooCommerce builder integrating with Elementor and Gutenberg. The vulnerability resides in the 'render' function within the includes/addons/wl_faq.php file. It allows authenticated users with Contributor-level privileges or higher to access sensitive Elementor template data that should normally be restricted, including private, pending, and draft templates. This exposure occurs because the plugin does not properly enforce access controls on the rendering of these templates, enabling unauthorized data extraction. The vulnerability is remotely exploitable over the network (AV:N), requires low attack complexity (AC:L), and only requires privileges equivalent to a Contributor role (PR:L). No user interaction is needed (UI:N), and the scope remains unchanged (S:U). The confidentiality impact is low (C:L), with no impact on integrity or availability. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 4.3, indicating medium severity. No patches or exploits are currently publicly available, but the vulnerability affects all versions up to and including 2.9.8 of ShopLentor. The flaw could allow attackers to gather sensitive design and content information, potentially facilitating further attacks or data leakage.

The primary impact of CVE-2024-9538 is unauthorized disclosure of sensitive Elementor template data, which may include private, pending, or draft content intended to be confidential. For organizations, this can lead to leakage of proprietary design elements, business strategies embedded in content drafts, or other sensitive information that could be leveraged for social engineering, competitive intelligence, or further exploitation. Since the vulnerability requires authenticated access at the Contributor level or above, insider threats or compromised accounts pose a significant risk. Although the vulnerability does not affect data integrity or system availability, the exposure of sensitive information can undermine trust, violate privacy policies, and potentially lead to compliance issues depending on the nature of the exposed data. E-commerce sites using WooCommerce with ShopLentor are particularly at risk, as attackers could gain insights into upcoming product launches or marketing strategies. The lack of known exploits in the wild reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the threat, especially as the vulnerability is publicly disclosed.

To mitigate CVE-2024-9538, organizations should first restrict Contributor-level and higher access to only trusted users, minimizing the attack surface. Implement strict role-based access controls and regularly audit user permissions to ensure no unauthorized privilege escalation. Monitor logs for unusual access patterns to Elementor templates or ShopLentor plugin components. Until an official patch is released, consider disabling or limiting the use of the affected ShopLentor modules that invoke the vulnerable 'render' function, if feasible. Employ Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) with custom rules to detect and block suspicious requests targeting the vulnerable endpoints. Educate administrators and content creators about the risks of sharing credentials or elevating privileges unnecessarily. Once a vendor patch or update is available, apply it promptly to remediate the vulnerability. Additionally, consider implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA) to reduce the risk of account compromise for users with Contributor-level access or higher.