CVE-2025-8208 in Spexo Addons for Elementor Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 08/24/2025
The Spexo Addons for Elementor plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via the plugin's Countdown widget in all versions up to, and including, 1.0.23 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.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/25/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-8208 affects the Spexo Addons for Elementor plugin, a popular WordPress extension that enhances the functionality of the Elementor page builder. This plugin enables website administrators to create advanced visual elements including countdown timers and other interactive components. The vulnerability specifically resides within the Countdown widget functionality, which is part of the broader plugin ecosystem that supports thousands of WordPress sites. The issue represents a critical security weakness that can be exploited by attackers who have gained contributor-level access or higher privileges on targeted WordPress installations.
The technical flaw manifests through insufficient input sanitization and output escaping mechanisms within the plugin's codebase. When users with contributor-level access or above create or modify pages containing the Countdown widget, they can inject malicious JavaScript code through user-supplied attributes. This occurs because the plugin fails to properly validate and sanitize all user-provided input before storing it in the database. The vulnerability follows the common pattern of stored cross-site scripting attacks where malicious code is permanently stored on the server and executed whenever legitimate users access affected pages. This represents a CWE-79 vulnerability category, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant for WordPress site administrators and their visitors. Authenticated attackers with contributor-level privileges can inject persistent malicious scripts that execute in the context of other users' browsers when they view pages containing the compromised Countdown widget. This creates a potential attack vector for session hijacking, credential theft, defacement of content, or redirection to malicious websites. The vulnerability affects all versions of the plugin up to and including version 1.0.23, meaning that any WordPress installation running these versions is potentially at risk. The attack requires minimal privileges, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited by users who have limited administrative rights but still possess the ability to modify content.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should begin with immediate plugin updates to the latest available version where the security flaw has been addressed. Administrators should also implement additional security measures such as restricting contributor-level user permissions to minimize the attack surface. Regular security audits of installed plugins and themes should be conducted to identify potential vulnerabilities before they can be exploited. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1059.001 (Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell) and T1566.001 (Social Engineering: Spearphishing Attachment), as attackers could leverage this vulnerability to establish persistent access through malicious script execution. Network monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual script injection patterns, and multi-factor authentication should be implemented for all administrative accounts to reduce the risk of unauthorized access.