CVE-2024-3889 in Royal Elementor Addons and Templates Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 04/23/2024
The Royal Elementor Addons and Templates plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via the plugin's Advanced Accordion widget in all versions up to, and including, 1.3.971 due to insufficient input sanitization and output escaping on user supplied attributes like 'accordion_title_tag'. 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 • 04/04/2025
The Royal Elementor Addons and Templates plugin for WordPress presents a critical stored cross-site scripting vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-3889. This flaw affects all versions up to and including 1.3.971, creating a significant security risk for WordPress installations that utilize this popular plugin. The vulnerability specifically targets the plugin's Advanced Accordion widget, which is commonly used to create interactive content elements on websites. The flaw arises from inadequate input sanitization and output escaping mechanisms that fail to properly validate or sanitize user-supplied attributes, particularly the 'accordion_title_tag' parameter that serves as the primary attack vector for this XSS vulnerability.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the plugin's failure to properly sanitize user input before storing it in the database and subsequently rendering it on web pages. When authenticated attackers with contributor-level access or higher manipulate the 'accordion_title_tag' attribute through the plugin's administrative interface, they can inject malicious JavaScript code that persists in the database. This stored payload executes whenever any user accesses a page containing the compromised accordion widget, making the vulnerability particularly dangerous as it can affect any user who views the compromised content without requiring any additional user interaction beyond accessing the affected pages. The vulnerability operates under CWE-79 which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting flaws, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for Initial Access through Spearphishing Attachment, as attackers can leverage this vulnerability to deliver malicious payloads to unsuspecting users.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it provides attackers with persistent access to compromised websites and their users. Contributors and higher-level WordPress users possess sufficient privileges to modify content and add widgets to pages, making this attack vector particularly concerning for multi-user WordPress environments. The stored nature of the XSS means that malicious scripts can execute against any user who visits affected pages, including administrators, editors, and regular contributors. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, deface websites, or perform further attacks such as privilege escalation within the WordPress environment. The vulnerability also enables attackers to create backdoors or establish persistent access to compromised sites, as the injected scripts can maintain functionality across multiple page views and user sessions.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2024-3889 should prioritize immediate plugin updates to versions that address the input sanitization and output escaping deficiencies. Organizations should implement the principle of least privilege by restricting contributor-level access to only necessary users and regularly auditing user permissions within WordPress installations. Additionally, implementing Content Security Policy headers can provide an additional layer of defense against XSS attacks by restricting the sources from which scripts can be loaded. Security monitoring should include regular checks for unauthorized modifications to plugin widgets and content, as well as network traffic analysis for suspicious script loading patterns. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of regular security audits and vulnerability assessments of WordPress plugins, particularly those that handle user input through administrative interfaces. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls that can detect and block known XSS attack patterns, and maintain up-to-date security practices that include regular plugin updates, strong authentication mechanisms, and comprehensive backup strategies to quickly recover from potential compromise scenarios.