CVE-2026-108488 in PowerPack Addons Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 10/13/2026
Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') vulnerability in IdeaBox Creations PowerPack Addons for Elementor powerpack-lite-for-elementor allows Stored XSS.This issue affects PowerPack Addons for Elementor: from n/a through 3.1.0.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/13/2026
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 PowerPack Addons for Elementor plugin, developed by IdeaBox Creations and distributed under the identifier powerpack-lite-for-elementor. The affected software versions span from an unspecified initial release through version 3.1.0. Unlike reflected XSS attacks where malicious scripts are executed via manipulated URLs or immediate user input that is not persisted, stored XSS vulnerabilities involve the injection of malicious code into a web application's database or persistent storage. When other users subsequently view the compromised content, the embedded script executes in their browsers, leading to potentially severe security consequences for both end-users and site administrators.
The technical root cause lies in the insufficient sanitization and validation of user-supplied input before it is rendered within HTML contexts by the WordPress plugin. In a typical scenario involving this type of vulnerability, an attacker with access to specific administrative or contributor-level capabilities can inject malicious JavaScript payloads into fields that are later displayed publicly on the website. Because Elementor is a popular page builder for WordPress, plugins like PowerPack often handle rich text inputs, form submissions, or custom widget configurations where user data is frequently rendered without adequate encoding of special characters such as angle brackets, quotes, and ampersands. This failure to properly neutralize these metacharacters allows the browser to interpret the injected content not merely as static data but as executable script code within the context of the victim's session.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant due to its persistent nature. Once a malicious payload is stored on the server, it affects every user who views the affected page or component without requiring any further interaction from the attacker beyond the initial injection. This persistence amplifies the risk profile considerably compared to one-time attacks. Attackers can exploit this flaw to steal session cookies, which may allow them to hijack administrative sessions if an administrator is tricked into viewing the compromised content. Furthermore, stored XSS can be leveraged for phishing campaigns by dynamically altering page content to mimic legitimate login forms or trusted entities, thereby deceiving users into revealing sensitive credentials. It also enables keylogging capabilities within the victim's browser session and can facilitate drive-by downloads of malware if combined with other exploitation techniques targeting browser vulnerabilities.
From a classification perspective, this vulnerability aligns directly with CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting'). The specific variant is categorized under Stored XSS, which corresponds to the persistence aspect of input handling failures. In terms of offensive security frameworks, this activity maps to MITRE ATT&CK technique T1059.007: Command and Control via Browser Proxy Redirection or more broadly to T1189: Drive-by Compromise when used in conjunction with other vectors, but primarily it falls under the initial access and persistence phases where malicious scripts are injected into trusted websites. The exploitation relies on the trust relationship between users and the website, as browsers execute scripts from a domain they consider legitimate, bypassing many standard security controls designed to prevent cross-origin attacks.
Mitigation strategies must address both immediate remediation and long-term defensive posture. For administrators of sites using PowerPack Addons for Elementor, the most critical action is to update the plugin to version 3.1.1 or later, where this vulnerability has been patched by implementing proper output encoding and input validation mechanisms. Until an official patch is available, temporary mitigations may include restricting user roles that can submit content containing rich text or HTML tags to trusted administrators only. Additionally, deploying a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with rules tuned to detect common XSS payloads in POST requests can provide a layer of defense against exploitation attempts. From a development standpoint, the fix involves ensuring that all dynamic data is encoded according to its context within the HTML structure, utilizing libraries or framework functions designed for safe output encoding rather than relying on ad-hoc string manipulation. Regular security audits and code reviews focusing on input handling are essential to prevent similar vulnerabilities in future releases of WordPress plugins.