CVE-2024-1468
📋 TL;DR
The Avada WordPress theme has a vulnerability that allows authenticated attackers with contributor-level access or higher to upload arbitrary files due to missing file type validation. This can lead to remote code execution on affected WordPress sites. All Avada theme versions up to and including 7.11.4 are vulnerable.
💻 Affected Systems
- Avada | Website Builder For WordPress & WooCommerce
📦 What is this software?
Avada by Theme Fusion
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Remote code execution leading to complete server compromise, data theft, malware deployment, and site defacement.
Likely Case
Unauthorized file upload leading to backdoor installation, privilege escalation, and persistence on the compromised WordPress site.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if proper file upload restrictions and web application firewalls are in place, though the vulnerability still exists.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires authenticated access but is straightforward once credentials are obtained.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 7.11.5 and later
Vendor Advisory: https://avada.com/documentation/avada-changelog/
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Log into WordPress admin panel. 2. Navigate to Appearance > Themes. 3. Click 'Update Now' on Avada theme. 4. Verify version is 7.11.5 or higher.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict Contributor Access
allTemporarily remove contributor-level permissions or restrict user registration.
Web Application Firewall Rules
allBlock requests to ajax_import_options function or restrict file uploads via WAF.
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict file upload restrictions at server level (e.g., .htaccess rules)
- Monitor for suspicious file uploads and user activity logs
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Avada theme version in WordPress admin under Appearance > Themes.Check Version:
wp theme list --field=name,version | grep -i avadaVerify Fix Applied:
Confirm Avada theme version is 7.11.5 or higher in WordPress admin.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual file uploads via AJAX endpoints
- Multiple failed upload attempts from contributor accounts
- POST requests to /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php with import_options action
Network Indicators:
- HTTP POST requests containing file uploads to admin-ajax.php
- Unusual outbound connections from web server after file upload
SIEM Query:
source="web_logs" AND (uri="/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php" AND action="import_options")🔗 References
- https://avada.com/documentation/avada-changelog/
- https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/cde6e758-9723-43f2-9972-32be8aeb2b91?source=cve
- https://avada.com/documentation/avada-changelog/
- https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/cde6e758-9723-43f2-9972-32be8aeb2b91?source=cve
