CVE-2024-13376

High

Published: 14 March 2025

Published

14 March 2025

Modified

15 April 2026

KEV Added

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Patch

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CVSS Score 8.8 CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

EPSS Score 0.0009 25.5th percentile

Risk Priority 18 60% EPSS · 20% KEV · 20% CVSS

Summary

CVE-2024-13376 is a high-severity Improper Privilege Management (CWE-269) vulnerability in Themeforest (inferred from references). Its CVSS base score is 8.8 (High).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Exploitation for Privilege Escalation (T1068); ranked at the 25.5th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

The strongest mitigations our analysis identified are NIST 800-53 AC-3 (Access Enforcement) and AC-6 (Least Privilege).

Threat & Defense at a Glance

What attackers do: exploitation maps to Exploitation for Privilege Escalation (T1068). What defenders deploy: see the NIST 800-53 controls recommended below.

Threat & Defense Details

Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5)AI

AC-6 Least Privilege good match

prevent

Enforces least privilege by requiring capability checks on sensitive functions like the vulnerable AJAX endpoint, preventing subscriber-level users from modifying arbitrary WordPress options and escalating privileges.

AC-3 Access Enforcement good match

prevent

Mandates enforcement of access control policies, directly addressing the missing capability check that allows unauthorized data modifications leading to privilege escalation.

SI-2 Flaw Remediation good match

prevent

Requires timely identification, reporting, and remediation of flaws such as the missing capability check in the Industrial theme, preventing exploitation through patching.

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise TechniquesAI

T1068 Exploitation for Privilege Escalation Privilege Escalation

Adversaries may exploit software vulnerabilities in an attempt to elevate privileges.

attack.mitre.org →

Why these techniques?

Missing capability check on AJAX function allows authenticated low-privileged users to update arbitrary WordPress options, directly enabling privilege escalation via default role change to administrator and open registration for admin account creation.

Confidence: HIGH · MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise v19.0

NVD Description

The Industrial theme for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized modification of data that can lead to privilege escalation due to a missing capability check on the _ajax_get_total_content_import_items() function in all versions up to, and including, 1.7.8. This makes it possible…

for authenticated attackers, with subscriber-level access and above, to update arbitrary options on the WordPress site. This can be leveraged to update the default role for registration to administrator and enable user registration for attackers to gain administrative user access to a vulnerable site.

Deeper analysisAI

CVE-2024-13376 affects the Industrial theme for WordPress, specifically due to a missing capability check on the _ajax_get_total_content_import_items() function. This vulnerability allows unauthorized modification of data, leading to privilege escalation, in all versions up to and including 1.7.8. It has been assigned a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.8 (AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H) and is associated with CWE-269 (Improper Privilege Management). The issue was published on March 14, 2025.

Authenticated attackers with subscriber-level access or higher can exploit this vulnerability remotely with low complexity and no user interaction required. By abusing the flawed AJAX function, they can update arbitrary WordPress options, such as changing the default role for new user registrations to administrator and enabling open registration. This enables attackers to create accounts with full administrative privileges on the targeted site.

Advisories from Wordfence provide detailed threat intelligence on the vulnerability, while the theme's page on ThemeForest offers additional context on the Industrial theme. Security practitioners should review these resources for patch information and update to a fixed version of the theme if available.