# CVE-2024-12006: Missing authorization in W3 Total Cache

> Unauthenticated attackers can deactivate the W3 Total Cache plugin and its extensions due to missing capability checks.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.3 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 14 Jan 2025
- **Updated:** 8 Apr 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-qjr6-x22w-558c

## What is CVE-2024-12006?

CVE-2024-12006 is a medium-severity missing authorization vulnerability in boldgrid W3 Total Cache, published on 14 Jan 2025. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The W3 Total Cache plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized modification of data due to a missing capability check on several functions in all versions up to, and including, 2.8.1. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to deactivate the plugin as well as activate and deactivate plugin extensions.

Weakness: CWE-862 (Missing Authorization)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-12006?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Boldgrid W3 Total Cache.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-12006?

No fix has been published for CVE-2024-12006 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2024-12006 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-12006 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in boldgrid W3 Total Cache

- [CVE-2024-12365](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-12365/): W3 Total Cache <= 2.8.1 - Authenticated (Subscriber+) Missing Authorization to Server-Side Request Forgery (high 8.5)
- [CVE-2012-6077](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-6077/): Information disclosure in Total Cache (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2012-6078](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-6078/): Information disclosure in Total Cache (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2012-6079](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-6079/): Information disclosure in Total Cache (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2019-6715](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-6715/): Path traversal in n/a (high 7.5)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2024-12006 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-12006 is a medium-severity missing authorization vulnerability in boldgrid W3 Total Cache, published on 14 Jan 2025. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-12006 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: boldgrid W3 Total Cache. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-12006/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-12006/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-12006
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-12006
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-12006

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-12006/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.