CVE-2024-13445 in Elementor Website Builder Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 02/20/2025
The Elementor Website Builder – More Than Just a Page Builder plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via the border, margin and gap parameters in all versions up to, and including, 3.27.4 due to insufficient input sanitization and output escaping. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Contributor-level access and above, to inject arbitrary web scripts in pages that will execute whenever a user accesses an injected page.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/20/2025
The vulnerability CVE-2024-13445 affects the Elementor Website Builder plugin for WordPress, a widely used page building tool that allows users to create and customize websites without coding knowledge. This particular flaw exists in versions up to and including 3.27.4, making it a significant concern for WordPress administrators who rely on this plugin for their website development needs. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input sanitization and output escaping mechanisms within the plugin's handling of border, margin, and gap parameters, which are commonly used styling options in the page builder interface.
The technical nature of this vulnerability places it firmly within the category of stored cross-site scripting attacks as classified by CWE-0000079, which specifically addresses situations where web applications fail to properly escape output or validate input data. Attackers with Contributor-level access or higher can exploit this weakness by injecting malicious scripts into the border, margin, and gap parameters through the plugin's administrative interface. These parameters are typically used to control the visual spacing and borders of elements within the page builder, making them prime targets for exploitation since they are frequently modified and displayed on web pages.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is substantial as it allows authenticated attackers to execute arbitrary web scripts in pages that will run whenever any user accesses those pages. This creates a persistent threat vector where compromised pages can serve as attack vectors for further exploitation, potentially leading to session hijacking, data theft, or redirection to malicious sites. The vulnerability affects all users who view pages containing the injected scripts, regardless of their authentication status, making it particularly dangerous in environments where multiple users contribute to website content. The attack requires minimal privileges, as Contributor-level access is sufficient to exploit this weakness, which means that even users with limited administrative rights can cause significant damage to the website's security posture.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate patching of the Elementor plugin to the latest available version that addresses the stored XSS flaw. Administrators should also implement additional security measures such as role-based access controls to limit contributor-level privileges and regularly audit user accounts for unauthorized access. The principle of least privilege should be enforced by restricting the capabilities of users who do not require full contributor access to the plugin's administrative features. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and content security policies to provide additional layers of protection against XSS attacks. Given that this vulnerability affects a popular WordPress plugin, it is crucial for administrators to monitor security advisories from both the plugin developers and WordPress security teams to ensure timely updates and protection against similar threats. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1566.001 - Phishing, as it enables attackers to create malicious pages that can be used in social engineering campaigns, and T1059.001 - Command and Scripting Interpreter, as it allows for the execution of malicious scripts within the target environment.