CVE-2024-13346
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability allows unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary shortcodes in the Avada WordPress theme, potentially leading to remote code execution or data manipulation. It affects all Avada theme versions up to and including 7.11.13 on WordPress sites using this theme.
💻 Affected Systems
- Avada | Website Builder For WordPress & WooCommerce theme
📦 What is this software?
Avada by Theme Fusion
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Attackers could execute arbitrary code on the server, leading to full system compromise, data theft, or site defacement.
Likely Case
Attackers may inject malicious shortcodes to redirect users, display unauthorized content, or perform limited data exfiltration.
If Mitigated
With proper input validation and patching, the risk is reduced to minimal, preventing shortcode execution.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation is straightforward due to lack of input validation, but no public proof-of-concept is known at this time.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Version 7.11.14 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://avada.com/documentation/avada-changelog/
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Log into the WordPress admin dashboard. 2. Navigate to Appearance > Themes. 3. Check for updates on the Avada theme. 4. Update to version 7.11.14 or higher. 5. Verify the update completes successfully.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable vulnerable action
WordPressRemove or disable the action that allows shortcode execution if patching is not immediately possible.
Consult theme documentation or developer for specific code modifications; no universal command available.
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Restrict access to the WordPress admin and vulnerable endpoints using a web application firewall (WAF).
- Monitor logs for unusual shortcode execution attempts and block suspicious IP addresses.
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check the Avada theme version in WordPress admin under Appearance > Themes; if version is 7.11.13 or lower, it is vulnerable.Check Version:
In WordPress, use: wp theme list --field=name,version | grep Avada (requires WP-CLI)Verify Fix Applied:
After updating, confirm the Avada theme version is 7.11.14 or higher in the same location.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Look for HTTP requests containing unusual shortcode parameters or patterns in WordPress or web server logs.
Network Indicators:
- Monitor for unexpected outbound connections or data exfiltration from the WordPress server.
SIEM Query:
Example: source="wordpress_logs" AND (shortcode OR do_shortcode) AND status=200