CVE-2024-5263 in ElementsKit Elementor Addons and Templates Library Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 06/15/2024
The ElementsKit Pro plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via the plugin's Motion Text and Table widgets in all versions up to, and including, 3.6.2 due to insufficient input sanitization and output escaping on user supplied attributes. 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.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/23/2025
The ElementsKit Pro plugin for WordPress represents a widely used element library that enhances website functionality through various widgets and components. This particular vulnerability affects versions up to and including 3.6.2, making it a significant concern for WordPress administrators and security professionals. The plugin's Motion Text and Table widgets serve as primary attack vectors due to their implementation flaws that create persistent XSS opportunities within the WordPress ecosystem.
The technical flaw stems from inadequate input sanitization and output escaping mechanisms within the plugin's codebase. When authenticated users with contributor-level privileges or higher submit content through the Motion Text and Table widgets, the plugin fails to properly validate or sanitize the user-supplied attributes before storing them in the database. This insufficient validation creates a persistent storage vulnerability where malicious scripts can be injected and stored indefinitely. The lack of proper output escaping means that when these stored scripts are later rendered on web pages, they execute in the context of the victim's browser without proper security restrictions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is substantial as it requires only contributor-level access to exploit, which is often granted to trusted users who may not be fully security-aware. Attackers can craft malicious payloads that target unsuspecting users who access pages containing the injected scripts. The stored nature of this XSS vulnerability means that the malicious code persists even after the initial injection, potentially affecting multiple users over extended periods. This creates a persistent threat vector that can be used for session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious sites.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting flaws in software applications. From an adversarial perspective, this vulnerability maps to ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for initial access through malicious content and T1059.001 for command and control through script execution. The exploitation pathway follows a common pattern where attackers leverage legitimate user privileges to inject malicious code that can then be executed by other users. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including plugin updates to versions that address the vulnerability, user access controls to limit contributor privileges where possible, and monitoring for suspicious content submissions. Additionally, security teams should conduct thorough audits of other plugin components for similar vulnerabilities and establish robust input validation protocols across all user-facing interfaces.