CVE-2016-11003 in Elegant Themes Bloom Plugin
Summary
by MITRE
The Elegant Themes Bloom plugin before 1.1.1 for WordPress has privilege escalation.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/05/2026
The Elegant Themes Bloom plugin vulnerability CVE-2016-11003 represents a critical privilege escalation flaw affecting WordPress installations. This vulnerability specifically targets the Bloom plugin version 1.1.0 and earlier, where unauthorized users can potentially elevate their privileges within the WordPress admin environment. The flaw stems from inadequate access control mechanisms within the plugin's administrative functions, allowing attackers to bypass standard authentication checks and gain elevated permissions. Such a vulnerability directly violates the principle of least privilege and can have severe implications for WordPress site security.
The technical implementation of this privilege escalation vulnerability occurs through improper validation of user permissions within the plugin's administrative interfaces. Attackers exploiting this flaw can manipulate specific parameters or function calls that should only be accessible to administrators or users with elevated privileges. The vulnerability likely resides in the plugin's handling of user roles and capabilities, where insufficient checks are performed before executing administrative functions. This type of flaw typically falls under CWE-285 which addresses improper authorization in software implementations. The vulnerability enables attackers to perform actions such as modifying plugin settings, accessing restricted content, or potentially gaining full administrative control over the WordPress installation.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-11003 extends beyond simple privilege escalation, creating a significant threat vector for attackers seeking to compromise WordPress sites. Once exploited, this vulnerability allows attackers to gain unauthorized access to administrative functions that should be restricted to authorized personnel only. The implications include potential data breaches, unauthorized content modification, malware injection, and complete takeover of affected WordPress installations. This vulnerability particularly affects websites using the Elegant Themes Bloom plugin, which is commonly installed on WordPress sites due to its marketing and email subscription features. The attack surface is further expanded as many WordPress sites may be running vulnerable versions of the plugin without proper update mechanisms in place.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-11003 primarily focus on immediate remediation through plugin updates to version 1.1.1 or later, which contains the necessary security patches. System administrators should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify all affected WordPress installations and ensure proper patch management protocols are in place. Additionally, implementing network segmentation and access controls can help limit the potential impact of such vulnerabilities. The remediation process should include monitoring for suspicious administrative activities and ensuring that WordPress core, themes, and plugins are regularly updated. Organizations should also consider implementing security monitoring solutions that can detect unauthorized privilege escalation attempts and maintain detailed audit logs of administrative activities. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of keeping WordPress plugins updated and maintaining robust security practices as outlined in various cybersecurity frameworks including those referenced in the ATT&CK framework for defensive measures against privilege escalation techniques.