Avada Builder lets attackers run arbitrary WordPress action hooks
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- Code execution
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- None · High · High
- Fix status
- No fix listed
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA. Impact type from CWE-94.
Summary
The Avada (Fusion) Builder plugin for WordPress up to and including 7.16.1 does not verify authorization before running a WordPress action hook whose name comes from a form field value. This is improper control of code generation (CWE-94) in the public form submission path. An unauthenticated remote attacker can invoke several arbitrary action hooks per request, which can permanently delete trashed posts, pages and comments or cause denial of service. It requires a published Avada form with AJAX submission and a notification template that includes a field placeholder.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-10-29
Description from the CNA
The Avada (Fusion) Builder plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to authorization bypass in all versions up to, and including, 7.16.1. This is due to the plugin not properly verifying authorization before dispatching a WordPress action hook whose name is taken from an attacker-supplied form-field value (via the notification email_message [field] placeholder and the {action_hook,...} dynamic-data token; the 3.16.1 trust gate is_content_request_supplied() only inspects $_POST['args']/$_GET['args'], never the $_POST['formData'] the public form-submit endpoint parses). This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to invoke arbitrary WordPress action hooks (multiple per request), causing state changes up to permanent, irreversible destruction of site content: a verified unauthenticated request permanently deleted trashed posts, pages, and comments via the core wp_scheduled_delete action. Other non-deny-listed hooks extend the impact to denial of service (e.g. wp_maybe_auto_update) and, where vulnerable third-party handlers are installed, further privileged writes. The same unauthenticated dynamic-data pipeline additionally exposes a blind arbitrary user/post-meta read; the read result is delivered only to the site owner and is not attacker-exfiltrable through the plugin's own email/response paths. Exploitation requires a published Avada form with AJAX submission and a notification whose email_message template includes an [all_fields] or explicit [field] placeholder - the default form configuration.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- Yes
- Technical impact
- Partial
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ThemeFusion | Avada (Fusion) Builder | up to 7.16.1 | — | No fix listed | CNA |
- Avada (Fusion) Builder VendorThemeFusion Affected up to 7.16.1 Fixed in — No fix listed CNA
Remediation
The sources list no fixed version for Avada (Fusion) Builder.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-10-29
Timeline
- 2026-10-10 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-97670
- 2026-10-10 Alias added: GHSA-wc6q-34rr-pv23
- 2026-10-11 Priority changed: MEDIUM → LOW
- 2026-10-11 CISA SSVC decision points changed
- 2026-10-11 Priority changed: LOW → MEDIUM
References
More ThemeFusion vulnerabilities
- TI-2022-01267 Fusion Builder < 3.6.2 - Unauthenticated SSRF CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2026-05505 Injection in ThemeFusion Avada Builder CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2024-02175 Avada <= 7.11.6 - Unauthenticated Sensitive Information Exposure via Form Uploads Directory Listing CVSS 3.1MEDIUM 5.3
- TI-2024-12389 Avada Theme <= 7.11.13 - Unauthenticated Arbitrary Shortcode Execution CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2026-15146 Avada <= 7.16 and Fusion Builder <= 3.16 - Unauthenticated Remote Code Execution via Arbitrary File Write CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2026-07656 Avada (Fusion) Builder <= 3.15.3 - Unauthenticated Arbitrary File Deletion via Form Entry Value CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.1
Sources
- CVE-2026-97670 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-97670 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-wc6q-34rr-pv23 · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences