CVE-2026-102394 in Essential Addons for Elementor Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 10/01/2026
Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') vulnerability in WPDeveloper Essential Addons for Elementor essential-addons-for-elementor-lite allows Stored XSS.This issue affects Essential Addons for Elementor: from n/a through 6.8.4.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/01/2026
The identified security flaw represents a classic instance of Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, commonly known as Cross-Site Scripting or XSS. Specifically, this vulnerability manifests as a Stored XSS within the WPDeveloper Essential Addons for Elementor plugin, affecting versions ranging from its initial release through version 6.8.4. Unlike reflected XSS attacks where malicious scripts are executed via manipulated URLs in real-time during user interaction, stored vulnerabilities pose a more severe risk profile because the injected payload is permanently saved on the target server. In this context, the application fails to adequately sanitize or validate input data before storing it within its database or content structure. Consequently, when the compromised data is subsequently retrieved and rendered into web pages for other users, the malicious script executes automatically in their browsers without any further interaction required from the victim beyond visiting the affected page.
From a technical perspective, this flaw stems from insufficient output encoding and input validation mechanisms within the plugin's codebase. When an attacker submits specially crafted content through available entry points such as form fields, comment sections, or custom widget configurations provided by Essential Addons for Elementor, the system accepts these inputs without applying necessary security filters like HTML entity encoding or strict type checking. This oversight allows arbitrary JavaScript code to be embedded directly into the page source. Because WordPress plugins often operate with elevated privileges relative to standard user content, this stored payload becomes part of the persistent site architecture. The execution context is typically that of a privileged administrator or any visitor viewing the compromised post or widget, depending on where the data was injected and displayed. This persistence ensures that every subsequent load of the affected page triggers the malicious script, creating a continuous vector for exploitation until the tainted content is manually removed from the database.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple defacement or session hijacking. Attackers can leverage stored XSS to steal administrative credentials by capturing cookies and authentication tokens transmitted during active sessions. This capability allows them to escalate privileges and gain full control over the WordPress installation, potentially leading to complete site compromise, data exfiltration, malware distribution to visitors, and black-hat SEO manipulation through injected links or hidden content. Furthermore, because this is a widely used plugin for page building with Elementor, the attack surface is broad, affecting numerous websites that rely on these specific addon features. The persistence of the payload means that even if initial access vectors are patched, previously stored malicious scripts may continue to execute until explicit cleanup occurs, prolonging the window of exposure and increasing the likelihood of successful exploitation by automated scanning tools or opportunistic attackers monitoring for vulnerable instances.
In alignment with industry standards, this vulnerability is categorized under CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation (Cross-site Scripting). It also maps to MITRE ATT&CK techniques related to Client-Side Injection and potentially Credential Access via Browser Session Hijacking if cookies are targeted. To mitigate this risk, immediate action is required for all administrators running affected versions of Essential Addons for Elementor. The primary remediation step involves upgrading the plugin to a version later than 6.8.4 where the input validation logic has been corrected and output encoding is properly enforced. For organizations unable to upgrade immediately due to compatibility constraints with other plugins or custom code, implementing Web Application Firewall rules that detect and block common XSS payloads in POST requests can provide temporary protection. Additionally, enforcing Content Security Policy headers on the web server can significantly reduce the impact by restricting script execution sources, thereby preventing even successfully injected scripts from running unless they originate from trusted domains explicitly whitelisted in the policy configuration.