CVE-2024-1500 in Royal Elementor Addons and Templates Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 03/07/2024
The Royal Elementor Addons and Templates plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via the Logo Widget in all versions up to, and including, 1.3.91 due to insufficient input sanitization and output escaping on user supplied URLs. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers with contributor-level and above permissions 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 • 04/17/2025
The Royal Elementor Addons and Templates plugin for WordPress represents a widely used extension that enhances website functionality through various widgets and templates. This particular vulnerability affects versions up to and including 1.3.91, making it a significant concern for WordPress administrators who rely on this plugin for their site's design and functionality. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output escaping mechanisms within the plugin's Logo Widget component, which processes user-supplied URLs without proper sanitization. This flaw creates a persistent security risk that can be exploited by attackers who have gained contributor-level access or higher permissions within the WordPress environment.
The technical flaw manifests in the plugin's failure to properly sanitize and escape user input when processing URLs for the Logo Widget. When an authenticated attacker with contributor privileges or higher uploads or modifies a logo URL through the plugin's interface, the system does not adequately validate or escape the input before storing it in the database. This stored data is then served back to users without proper output escaping, creating a classic stored cross-site scripting vulnerability. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it allows attackers to inject malicious scripts that will execute in the context of any user who visits a page containing the injected content, regardless of whether they are authenticated or not.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it provides attackers with the ability to perform various malicious activities within the compromised WordPress environment. Once a script is injected, attackers can steal user sessions, redirect visitors to malicious sites, deface websites, or even escalate their privileges further within the compromised system. The vulnerability affects all users who access pages containing the maliciously injected logo URLs, making it a broad-reaching threat that can impact thousands of visitors depending on the site's traffic. This stored XSS vulnerability particularly threatens sites where contributors or higher-level users have access to the plugin's interface, as these roles typically have the ability to modify content and settings.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which identifies cross-site scripting as a critical weakness in web applications. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a technique for code injection, specifically under T1566.001 - Phishing with Malicious Attachments, where attackers can leverage such vulnerabilities to deliver malicious payloads through seemingly legitimate website content. Organizations should immediately implement mitigation strategies including updating to the latest plugin version, which likely contains proper input validation and output escaping mechanisms. Additionally, administrators should consider implementing network-level protections such as web application firewalls and content security policies to reduce the impact of potential exploitation attempts. Regular security audits and monitoring of user activity within WordPress installations can also help detect unauthorized modifications that may indicate exploitation attempts.