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PatchSiren cyber security CVE debrief

CVE-2026-12256 ThemeFusion CVE debrief

A high-severity vulnerability was found in Avada, a theme for WordPress, which could allow an attacker to inject malicious PHP objects. This issue, tracked as CVE-2026-12256, has a CVSS score of 8.8 and was publicly disclosed on 2026-06-17. The vulnerability is caused by a PHP object injection issue in the Avada theme, allowing an attacker with contributor-level access to potentially inject malicious PHP objects, leading to arbitrary code execution.

Vendor
ThemeFusion
Product
Avada
CVSS
HIGH 8.8
CISA KEV
Not listed in stored evidence
Original CVE published
2026-06-17
Original CVE updated
2026-10-01
Advisory published
2026-06-17
Advisory updated
2026-10-01

Who should care

Users of Avada theme version 3.15.3 or earlier should apply the necessary updates to prevent potential attacks. This includes operators, administrators, and security teams responsible for maintaining WordPress installations with the Avada theme.

Technical summary

The vulnerability is caused by a PHP object injection issue in the Avada theme. An attacker with contributor-level access could potentially inject malicious PHP objects, leading to arbitrary code execution. The CVSS vector for this vulnerability is CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.

Defensive priority

High priority should be given to updating Avada to a version that addresses this vulnerability.

Recommended defensive actions

  • Apply the latest patch or update for Avada theme to version greater than 3.15.3.
  • Restrict access to sensitive areas of the website to trusted users only.
  • Monitor website activity for suspicious behavior.
  • Review compensating controls for exposed systems while remediation is scheduled and verified.
  • Check relevant monitoring, detection, and logs for exposed assets that need extra review.

Evidence notes

The CVE record was published on 2026-06-17T13:19:57.723Z and last modified on 2026-06-17T14:44:26.397Z. The NVD entry is currently Deferred. Evidence is limited to public CVE and NVD information. Defenders should verify Avada theme versions and update to a patched version if vulnerable.

Sources and references

Verified primary and authoritative sources

  • CVE-2026-12256 CVE Program record

    Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified

    URL: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-12256

    CVE Program - Official CVE Program record with source-provided CVE metadata.

  • CVE-2026-12256 NVD vulnerability detail

    Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified

    URL: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-12256

    NIST National Vulnerability Database - Official NIST NVD detail page and source-specific vulnerability assessment.

Methodology and review provenance

AI-assisted synthesis based on stored public vulnerability evidence. System validation, approval state, and publication status do not by themselves establish human review of this revision. PatchSiren helps prioritize defensive review and does not prove exposure or remediation on any system.