CVE-2024-3018 in Essential Addons for Elementor Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 03/30/2024
The Essential Addons for Elementor plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to PHP Object Injection in all versions up to, and including, 5.9.13 via deserialization of untrusted input from the 'error_resetpassword' attribute of the "Login | Register Form" widget (disabled by default). This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with author-level access and above, to inject a PHP Object. If a POP chain is present via an additional plugin or theme installed on the target system, it could allow the attacker to delete arbitrary files, retrieve sensitive data, or execute code.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/09/2025
The Essential Addons for Elementor plugin represents a popular extension for WordPress websites that enhances the functionality of the Elementor page builder. This particular vulnerability exists within the plugin's handling of user input through the Login | Register Form widget component, which is disabled by default but can be enabled by administrators. The flaw manifests in the plugin's deserialization process where untrusted input from the 'error_resetpassword' attribute is directly processed without adequate sanitization or validation measures. This vulnerability affects all versions up to and including 5.9.13, making it a significant concern for WordPress site owners who have not updated their installations.
The core technical issue stems from PHP object injection vulnerabilities that occur when applications deserialize untrusted data without proper security controls. The specific flaw allows authenticated attackers with author-level privileges or higher to manipulate the 'error_resetpassword' parameter and inject malicious PHP objects into the system. This represents a classic PHP deserialization vulnerability pattern that aligns with CWE-502, which catalogs insecure deserialization flaws in software systems. The vulnerability operates through the principle that when PHP deserializes data, it can execute code contained within the serialized object structure, creating a potential attack surface for privilege escalation and arbitrary code execution.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is particularly concerning as it requires only author-level access to exploit, which is relatively common in WordPress environments where multiple users have editing privileges. Once exploited, the vulnerability could enable attackers to perform arbitrary file operations, access sensitive data, or execute code on the target system. The potential for file deletion and data retrieval makes this a critical concern for WordPress administrators who may not be aware that their systems are vulnerable. The vulnerability's exploitation is further amplified by the possibility of chained attacks through other plugins or themes that may contain POP (Property-Oriented Programming) chains, which can be leveraged to escalate privileges or execute malicious code without requiring additional user interaction.
Security professionals should immediately recommend updating the Essential Addons for Elementor plugin to version 5.9.14 or later to remediate this vulnerability. Organizations should also conduct comprehensive security audits of their WordPress installations to identify any other potentially vulnerable plugins or themes that might contain similar deserialization flaws. The attack surface for such vulnerabilities is particularly wide since many WordPress plugins and themes utilize PHP serialization for various functionality purposes. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1059.007 for PHP code execution and T1566 for credential access through social engineering or privilege escalation. Network monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual patterns in serialized data being processed by PHP applications, and input validation should be strengthened across all user-facing parameters to prevent similar vulnerabilities in the future.