CVE-2025-24748

Executive Summary

CVE-2025-24748 is a Missing Authorization vulnerability in the Avada WordPress theme by ThemeFusion, affecting versions up to and including 7.11.10. This flaw allows unauthenticated attackers to access certain functionality or data that should require authorization, potentially leading to information disclosure. The vulnerability has a CVSS score of 5.3 (Medium) and an EPSS score of 0.0%, indicating low exploitation likelihood at this time. No public proof-of-concept or exploit code has been identified, and no patch is currently available.

Supply Chain & Package Security

This vulnerability resides in a commercial WordPress theme (Avada) distributed via ThemeFusion's own platform and the WordPress theme repository. As a WordPress ecosystem component, it affects sites using the Avada theme. The lack of a patch means site administrators must rely on workarounds or custom security measures until an update is released.

CVSS Breakdown & Threat Level

• Attack Vector (AV): Network (N) – Exploitable remotely.
• Attack Complexity (AC): Low (L) – No special conditions required.
• Privileges Required (PR): None (N) – No authentication needed.
• User Interaction (UI): None (N) – No user action required.
• Scope (S): Unchanged (U) – Impact confined to the vulnerable component.
• Confidentiality (C): Low (L) – Limited information disclosure.
• Integrity (I): None (N) – No data modification.
• Availability (A): None (N) – No denial of service.

Threat Level: Medium. The vulnerability is easy to exploit remotely without authentication, but the impact is limited to low confidentiality loss.

Deep Dive & Mechanics

The vulnerability stems from missing authorization checks in one or more AJAX actions or REST API endpoints within the Avada theme. In WordPress, themes often register AJAX handlers for both authenticated and unauthenticated users. If a handler intended for authenticated users (e.g., wp_ajax_*) is inadvertently registered for unauthenticated users (e.g., wp_ajax_nopriv_*) or lacks a capability check, an attacker can trigger it without a valid session.

The specific endpoint(s) affected are not publicly documented, but the pattern suggests a function that retrieves theme options, demo data, or other sensitive configuration. By sending a crafted HTTP request to /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php with the appropriate action parameter, an attacker can bypass authorization and access data that should be restricted.

Vulnerable vs. Patched Code

Since no patch is available, the vulnerable code pattern is described generically. In a patched version, the developer would add a capability check before executing the sensitive function.

Vulnerable Code (Conceptual):

add_action('wp_ajax_nopriv_avada_get_data', 'avada_get_data_callback');
function avada_get_data_callback() {
    // No capability check
    $data = get_option('avada_theme_options');
    wp_send_json_success($data);
}

Patched Code (Conceptual):

add_action('wp_ajax_avada_get_data', 'avada_get_data_callback');
// Remove the nopriv hook or add a check
function avada_get_data_callback() {
    if (!current_user_can('edit_theme_options')) {
        wp_die('Unauthorized', 403);
    }
    $data = get_option('avada_theme_options');
    wp_send_json_success($data);
}

Exploitation & Lab Setup

Red Team

Prerequisites:

• Target running Avada theme version <= 7.11.10.
• No authentication required.

Exploitation Steps:

1. Identify the vulnerable AJAX action (e.g., avada_get_data).
2. Send a POST request to /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php with the action parameter.

Proof-of-Concept (cURL):

curl -X POST https://target.com/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php \
  -d "action=avada_get_data" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded"

Expected Output: JSON response containing sensitive theme data (e.g., API keys, database credentials if stored in options).

Blue Team

Detection:

• Monitor for unusual AJAX requests to /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php with unknown or suspicious action parameters.
• Look for requests from unauthenticated users to actions that should require authentication.

Hunting Query (Splunk):

index=web sourcetype=access_combined
uri="/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php"
form_data=*action=avada_*
| stats count by src_ip, form_data

Indicators of Compromise (IOCs)

• Network:

  • POST requests to /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php with action=avada_* parameters from unauthenticated sources.
  • Unusual outbound data transfers containing theme options or configuration data.

• File System:

  • Modified functions.php or theme files with added AJAX handlers.
  • Unexpected log entries in /wp-content/debug.log.

• Logs:

  • Web server logs showing 200 responses to AJAX requests without prior authentication.

Detection Engineering

YARA Rule

rule CVE_2025_24748_Avada_Missing_Auth {
    meta:
        description = "Detects vulnerable Avada theme files with missing authorization"
        author = "Valters IT"
        date = "2025-04-10"
        reference = "CVE-2025-24748"
    strings:
        $ajax_nopriv = "wp_ajax_nopriv_avada_" nocase
        $ajax_priv = "wp_ajax_avada_" nocase
        $cap_check = "current_user_can" nocase
    condition:
        $ajax_nopriv and not $cap_check
}

Sigma Rule

title: CVE-2025-24748 Avada Missing Authorization Exploitation
id: 8a9b7c6d-5e4f-3a2b-1c0d-9e8f7a6b5c4d
status: experimental
description: Detects exploitation attempts against CVE-2025-24748 in Avada theme
author: Valters IT
date: 2025-04-10
logsource:
    category: webserver
    product: apache
detection:
    selection:
        cs-method: 'POST'
        cs-uri-query: '/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php'
        cs-uri-query|contains: 'action=avada_'
    condition: selection
falsepositives:
    - Legitimate admin AJAX calls (rare)
level: medium

Suricata Rule

alert http any any -> any any (msg:"CVE-2025-24748 Avada Missing Authorization Exploitation"; flow:to_server,established; content:"POST"; http_method; content:"/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php"; http_uri; content:"action=avada_"; http_client_body; classtype:attempted-recon; sid:1000001; rev:1;)

Remediation & Mitigation

Immediate Actions:

1. Disable Unnecessary AJAX Handlers: If possible, identify and disable the vulnerable AJAX action by adding a filter in a custom plugin:

   add_action('init', function() {
       remove_action('wp_ajax_nopriv_avada_get_data', 'avada_get_data_callback');
   });
   

2. Web Application Firewall (WAF): Block requests to /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php with action=avada_* parameters from unauthenticated users.
3. Monitor Logs: Review web server logs for suspicious AJAX requests.

Long-Term Fix:

• Apply the official patch from ThemeFusion once released.
• Update to the latest Avada version as soon as it becomes available.
• Implement principle of least privilege for all AJAX endpoints.

Workaround:

• Use a security plugin (e.g., Wordfence) to add virtual patching for missing authorization vulnerabilities.

Valters IT