CVE-2024-56285 in WPBITS Addons for Elementor Page Builder Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 01/07/2025
Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') vulnerability in WPBits WPBITS Addons For Elementor Page Builder allows Stored XSS.This issue affects WPBITS Addons For Elementor Page Builder: from n/a through 1.5.1.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/05/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-56285 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the WPBITS Addons For Elementor Page Builder plugin, specifically impacting versions ranging from the initial release through 1.5.1. This weakness falls under the category of improper input neutralization during web page generation, creating a persistent security risk that allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users. The vulnerability is classified as a stored XSS attack vector, meaning that malicious code can be permanently stored on the server and subsequently executed whenever affected pages are accessed, making it particularly dangerous for websites that rely on user-generated content or administrative inputs.
The technical implementation of this flaw occurs when the plugin fails to properly sanitize or escape user inputs before rendering them within HTML output pages. When administrators or users submit content through the Elementor page builder interface, the plugin processes these inputs without adequate validation mechanisms to prevent script injection. This inadequate input handling creates a pathway for attackers to embed malicious JavaScript code within legitimate page elements, which then executes in the browsers of unsuspecting visitors. The vulnerability demonstrates a clear violation of secure coding practices and represents a failure in the principle of least privilege, where user inputs are not properly filtered before being incorporated into dynamic web content.
From an operational standpoint, this vulnerability presents significant risks to website owners and their visitors, as it can be exploited to steal session cookies, perform unauthorized actions on behalf of users, redirect traffic to malicious sites, or even install malware on visitor devices. The stored nature of the XSS attack means that the malicious payload persists on the server, allowing attackers to maintain access and continue exploiting the vulnerability without requiring repeated injection attempts. This makes the threat particularly persistent and difficult to detect, as the malicious code can remain dormant until triggered by user interactions with compromised pages. The impact extends beyond simple data theft to include potential complete system compromise, especially if administrators are targeted or if the vulnerability exists within core administrative interfaces.
The mitigation strategy for this vulnerability should prioritize immediate patching of the affected plugin versions, with administrators upgrading to the latest available release that addresses the XSS flaw. Security professionals should implement additional defensive measures including input validation at multiple layers, output encoding for all dynamic content, and regular security scanning of web applications to detect similar vulnerabilities. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for credential access through social engineering and T1059.007 for script execution via web shells. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls, content security policies, and regular security audits to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in their web applications.