CVE-2024-51674 in Sastra Essential Addons for Elementor Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 11/09/2024
Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation (XSS or 'Cross-site Scripting') vulnerability in TemplatesCoder Sastra Essential Addons for Elementor allows DOM-Based XSS.This issue affects Sastra Essential Addons for Elementor: from n/a through 1.0.5.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/28/2025
The vulnerability CVE-2024-51674 represents a critical security flaw in the Sastra Essential Addons for Elementor plugin, specifically manifesting as a DOM-Based Cross-Site Scripting vulnerability. This issue falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, where improper input neutralization during web page generation creates opportunities for malicious code execution. The vulnerability is particularly concerning as it affects versions from an unspecified starting point through version 1.0.5, indicating a potential window of exposure for numerous installations. The DOM-Based XSS nature means that the attack vector exploits the Document Object Model directly rather than relying on server-side processing, making it more difficult to detect and mitigate through traditional server-side input validation techniques.
The technical flaw stems from inadequate sanitization of user-supplied input within the plugin's template generation processes. When the Elementor plugin processes user-generated content or parameters, it fails to properly escape or validate input before incorporating it into the DOM structure. This allows attackers to inject malicious JavaScript code through carefully crafted parameters that are then executed in the context of the victim's browser. The vulnerability specifically impacts the plugin's handling of template variables and dynamic content generation, where user input is directly reflected without proper security controls. Attackers can exploit this by crafting malicious URLs or form inputs that, when processed by the vulnerable plugin, execute arbitrary scripts in the browser context of authenticated users.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, potentially enabling attackers to perform a wide range of malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, data exfiltration, and privilege escalation. Since the vulnerability affects a popular Elementor addon, the attack surface is significant, particularly in environments where administrators or editors have access to the plugin's configuration interfaces. The DOM-Based nature means that even if server-side input validation is present, the attack can still succeed because the malicious payload is executed client-side within the browser's DOM. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in multi-user environments where different privilege levels exist, as it could allow lower-privilege users to escalate their access or compromise higher-privileged accounts. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for initial access through malicious web content, and T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter through web shells.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2024-51674 must address both immediate remediation and long-term security hardening. The primary recommendation involves upgrading to the latest version of the Sastra Essential Addons for Elementor plugin where the vulnerability has been patched. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms to prevent similar issues in the future. Security teams should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments of all Elementor plugins and themes to identify potential similar vulnerabilities. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide additional defense-in-depth measures against XSS attacks, while regular security audits of web applications should include testing for DOM-Based XSS vulnerabilities. Additionally, user input should always be properly escaped when rendered in web pages, and the principle of least privilege should be enforced to limit the impact of successful attacks. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious input patterns that could indicate XSS attempts.