CVE-2024-3309 in Qi Addons for Elementor Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 04/27/2024
The Qi Addons For Elementor plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via the Countdown Widget's attributes in all versions up to, and including, 1.7.0 due to insufficient input sanitization and output escaping. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with contributor 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 • 04/03/2025
The Qi Addons For Elementor plugin represents a popular extension for the WordPress content management system that enhances the functionality of the Elementor page builder through additional widgets and features. This particular plugin version 1.7.0 and earlier contains a critical stored cross-site scripting vulnerability that affects the Countdown Widget functionality. The vulnerability exists within the plugin's handling of user input through the widget attributes, creating a persistent security flaw that can be exploited by authenticated attackers with contributor-level privileges or higher. The issue stems from inadequate sanitization of input data and insufficient output escaping mechanisms that fail to properly validate or escape user-supplied content before storing and rendering it within web pages.
The technical flaw manifests when an authenticated attacker with contributor access or above manipulates the Countdown Widget's attributes through the WordPress admin interface. The plugin fails to adequately sanitize the input parameters provided by users, allowing malicious script code to be stored within the WordPress database. When legitimate users subsequently access pages containing the affected widget, the stored malicious scripts execute in their browsers, creating a persistent XSS attack vector. This vulnerability operates as a stored XSS because the malicious code is saved to the database and executed each time the affected page is loaded, rather than requiring a direct browser-based attack. The flaw specifically impacts the widget's attribute handling mechanisms where user inputs are processed without proper validation or sanitization before being rendered back to users.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it provides attackers with the ability to perform various malicious activities through the compromised user sessions. Attackers can steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious websites, deface pages, or even escalate privileges within the compromised WordPress environment. The vulnerability's accessibility through contributor-level accounts significantly increases the attack surface, as many WordPress installations maintain contributor roles for users who require limited editing capabilities. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where multiple users have contributor access, as a single compromised account could provide attackers with a foothold for further exploitation. The stored nature of the vulnerability means that the malicious code remains persistent until manually removed by administrators, creating ongoing security risks.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate patching of the plugin to version 1.7.1 or later, which contains the necessary sanitization and escaping fixes. Administrators should also implement additional security measures such as role-based access control restrictions to limit contributor capabilities, regular monitoring of user activities, and implementation of web application firewalls to detect and block malicious script injections. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications, and it maps to ATT&CK technique T1566.001 which covers social engineering through malicious content injection. Organizations should conduct thorough security audits of their WordPress installations to identify any other potentially vulnerable plugins or themes, implement proper input validation across all user-facing interfaces, and establish incident response procedures for handling potential XSS attacks. Regular security updates and patch management processes should be prioritized to prevent similar vulnerabilities from being introduced through outdated plugin versions.