CVE-2023-6582 in ElementsKit Lite Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 01/11/2024
The ElementsKit Elementor addons plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Sensitive Information Exposure in all versions up to, and including, 3.0.3 via the ekit_widgetarea_content function. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to obtain contents of posts in draft, private or pending review status that should not be visible to the general public. This applies to posts created with Elementor only.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/11/2026
The CVE-2023-6582 vulnerability affects the ElementsKit plugin for WordPress, specifically targeting versions up to and including 3.0.3. This security flaw resides within the ekit_widgetarea_content function and represents a critical sensitive information exposure issue that undermines the fundamental security model of WordPress content management systems. The vulnerability allows unauthenticated attackers to access draft, private, and pending review posts that should remain hidden from public view, fundamentally compromising the confidentiality and access control mechanisms that WordPress relies upon for content protection.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate access control validation within the ElementsKit plugin's widget area content retrieval function. When the ekit_widgetarea_content function processes requests for widget area content, it fails to properly verify user authentication status or role-based permissions before returning post content. This oversight creates a direct pathway for malicious actors to bypass WordPress's built-in content restriction systems, enabling them to extract sensitive information from posts that are normally restricted to authorized users only. The vulnerability specifically impacts posts created using Elementor, indicating that the flaw is tightly coupled with how the plugin handles Elementor-generated content structures and their associated metadata.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it fundamentally undermines the trust model that WordPress users rely upon for content security. Attackers can now obtain unpublished content including drafts, private posts, and content pending review, potentially exposing sensitive business information, personal data, or strategic content that should remain confidential. This vulnerability particularly affects organizations that use Elementor for creating and managing content, as it creates a persistent risk for any website running the vulnerable plugin version. The unauthenticated nature of the attack means that no login credentials or privileged access are required to exploit the vulnerability, making it especially dangerous and easy to leverage at scale.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately update to the patched version of the ElementsKit plugin, as the vulnerability exists across all versions up to 3.0.3 and represents a clear failure in the plugin's access control implementation. The remediation strategy should include comprehensive security auditing of all WordPress installations using the affected plugin, along with monitoring for potential exploitation attempts. Security teams should implement network-level monitoring to detect unusual traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, and consider implementing additional access controls or web application firewalls to protect against such vulnerabilities. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-200 (Information Exposure) and represents a clear violation of the principle of least privilege that should be enforced by all WordPress plugins handling content access. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a privilege escalation technique through information disclosure, where attackers gain unauthorized access to restricted content that should only be available to authenticated users with appropriate permissions, making this a significant concern for organizations relying on WordPress for content management.