CVE-2026-118073 in News Kit Elementor Addons Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 10/29/2026
Subscriber PHP Object Injection in News Kit Elementor Addons <= 1.5.0 versions.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/29/2026
The vulnerability identified as Subscriber PHP Object Injection within the News Kit Elementor Addons plugin, specifically affecting versions up to and including 1.5.0, represents a critical server-side security flaw rooted in inadequate input validation and unsafe deserialization practices. This type of vulnerability allows an attacker to manipulate serialized objects passed through HTTP requests, leading to arbitrary code execution or denial of service conditions on the targeted WordPress environment. The core issue lies in how the plugin processes user-supplied data without sufficient sanitization before it is unserialized by PHP's internal mechanisms. When a system accepts external input and directly passes it into an unserialize function without verifying its integrity or origin, it creates a pathway for malicious actors to inject crafted payloads that exploit existing classes within the application or loaded libraries.
From a technical perspective, this flaw aligns with CWE-502, which describes Deserialization of Untrusted Data. In the context of WordPress plugins utilizing Elementor frameworks, developers often rely on specific class structures and methods provided by the framework to handle dynamic content rendering. If the News Kit plugin fails to validate the structure or type of data received from subscribers or form inputs before processing it through object instantiation routines, an attacker can craft a serialized string that references internal classes with dangerous magic methods such as __wakeup, __destruct, or __toString. These methods are frequently targeted because they execute automatically during deserialization and often contain logic for file operations, database queries, or system commands. By controlling the properties of these objects through injection, an attacker can redirect execution flow to unintended functions within the WordPress core or other installed plugins that have higher privileges or more dangerous capabilities available.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe, potentially leading to full server compromise if combined with other local vulnerabilities such as file upload flaws or misconfigured permissions. An authenticated attacker, typically a subscriber-level user due to the nature of the plugin's functionality regarding subscription management, can exploit this flaw to execute arbitrary PHP code on the web server. This capability effectively bypasses standard authentication controls and allows for data exfiltration, defacement, or the installation of persistent backdoors such as web shells. Furthermore, because WordPress environments are often shared hosting setups, compromising one site through this vector could facilitate lateral movement to other sites hosted on the same infrastructure if proper isolation measures like containerization or strict user permissions are not in place. The attack complexity is relatively low for authenticated users, making it a high-risk threat that requires immediate attention from administrators and developers alike.
In terms of industry standards mapping, this vulnerability corresponds to MITRE ATT&CK technique T1059, specifically Command and Scripting Interpreter: PHP, as the ultimate goal often involves executing system commands via PHP functions like exec or shell_exec triggered through the injected object's methods. It also relates to T1190, Exploit Public-Facing Application, given that WordPress plugins are frequently exposed directly to internet traffic. The lack of proper input validation places this squarely within CWE-20 Improper Input Validation as well, highlighting a fundamental failure in securing data entry points against malicious payloads. Understanding these mappings helps security teams prioritize remediation efforts based on established threat intelligence frameworks and common vulnerability enumeration standards.
Mitigation strategies must focus on immediate patching and architectural improvements to prevent recurrence. The primary defense is upgrading the News Kit Elementor Addons plugin to a version greater than 1.5.0, where developers have presumably implemented stricter input validation and avoided direct deserialization of user-controlled data. For environments unable to upgrade immediately due to compatibility constraints, temporary mitigations include disabling PHP object injection by removing dangerous functions from php.ini if possible, although this is often impractical in shared hosting. More effectively, administrators should implement Web Application Firewalls that can detect patterns associated with serialized payloads and block requests containing suspicious base64-encoded strings or known exploit signatures related to common vulnerable classes like WP_User or Elementor-related objects. Additionally, enforcing the principle of least privilege for database users and web server processes reduces the blast radius if an exploitation attempt succeeds. Regular security audits focusing on deserialization practices across all installed plugins are essential to maintain a robust defense posture against this class of vulnerabilities.