CVE-2024-5179 – The Cowidgets – Elementor Addons WordPress pl... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2024-5179?

CVE-2024-5179 has a CVSS score of 8.8 (HIGH). The Cowidgets – Elementor Addons WordPress plugin contains a Local File Inclusion vulnerability in all versions up to 1.1.1. Authenticated attackers with Contributor-level access or higher can exploit this to include and execute arbitrary PHP files on the server, potentially leading to remote code execution, data theft, or privilege escalation.

📋 TL;DR

The Cowidgets – Elementor Addons WordPress plugin contains a Local File Inclusion vulnerability in all versions up to 1.1.1. Authenticated attackers with Contributor-level access or higher can exploit this to include and execute arbitrary PHP files on the server, potentially leading to remote code execution, data theft, or privilege escalation.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Cowidgets – Elementor Addons WordPress plugin

Versions: All versions up to and including 1.1.1

Operating Systems: Any OS running WordPress

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Requires authenticated user with Contributor role or higher. WordPress sites with this plugin installed are vulnerable by default.

📦 What is this software?

Cowidgets Elementor Addons by Codeless

View all CVEs affecting Cowidgets Elementor Addons →

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Full server compromise through remote code execution, data exfiltration, and persistent backdoor installation.

🟠

Likely Case

Unauthorized file access, privilege escalation to administrator, and installation of web shells or malware.

🟢

If Mitigated

Limited impact if proper file permissions and input validation are in place, but still significant risk.

🌐 Internet-Facing: HIGH

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: LIKELY

Unauthenticated Exploit: ✅ No

Complexity: LOW

Exploitation requires authenticated access but is straightforward once credentials are obtained.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: Version 1.1.2 or later

Vendor Advisory: https://wordpress.org/plugins/cowidgets-elementor-addons/

Restart Required: No

Instructions:

1. Log into WordPress admin panel. 2. Navigate to Plugins → Installed Plugins. 3. Find 'Cowidgets – Elementor Addons'. 4. Click 'Update Now' if available. 5. If no update appears, manually download version 1.1.2+ from WordPress.org and replace plugin files.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Disable vulnerable plugin

all

Temporarily deactivate the Cowidgets plugin until patched.

wp plugin deactivate cowidgets-elementor-addons

Restrict file inclusion paths

linux

Configure PHP open_basedir restriction to limit file access.

open_basedir = /var/www/html:/tmp

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Remove Contributor and higher roles from untrusted users.
Implement web application firewall (WAF) rules to block requests containing 'item_style' or 'style' parameters with path traversal sequences.

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check plugin version in WordPress admin under Plugins → Installed Plugins. If version is 1.1.1 or lower, you are vulnerable.

Check Version:

wp plugin get cowidgets-elementor-addons --field=version

Verify Fix Applied:

Confirm plugin version is 1.1.2 or higher after update.

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

HTTP requests containing 'item_style' or 'style' parameters with path traversal sequences (../, ..\)
Unexpected PHP file inclusions in web server logs

Network Indicators:

POST requests to /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php with suspicious parameters
Unusual file upload patterns

SIEM Query:

source="web_server" AND ("item_style" OR "style") AND ("..\" OR "../")

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2024-5179

CVSS v3 Score: 8.8 (HIGH)

CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CWE: CWE-22

Published: June 6, 2024

Last Updated: November 21, 2024

🔗 References

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🔗 Related Vulnerabilities

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