CVE-2024-5583
📋 TL;DR
This stored XSS vulnerability in The Plus Addons for Elementor WordPress plugin allows authenticated attackers with contributor-level access or higher to inject malicious scripts into web pages. The scripts execute whenever users visit compromised pages, potentially stealing credentials or performing unauthorized actions. All WordPress sites using this plugin up to version 5.6.2 are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- The Plus Addons for Elementor – Elementor Addons, Page Templates, Widgets, Mega Menu, WooCommerce
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Attackers could steal administrator credentials, take over the WordPress site, deface pages, redirect visitors to malicious sites, or install backdoors for persistent access.
Likely Case
Attackers with contributor accounts inject malicious scripts to steal user session cookies, perform actions as logged-in users, or display phishing content to visitors.
If Mitigated
With proper access controls limiting contributor privileges and web application firewalls, impact is reduced to potential defacement of specific pages without credential theft.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires authenticated access but is straightforward once an attacker has contributor privileges. The vulnerability is in a widely used plugin making it attractive for attackers.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 5.6.3 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/3158479/the-plus-addons-for-elementor-page-builder/
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Log into WordPress admin panel. 2. Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins. 3. Find 'The Plus Addons for Elementor'. 4. Click 'Update Now' if update available. 5. Alternatively, download version 5.6.3+ from WordPress repository and manually update.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable vulnerable widget
allTemporarily disable the testimonials widget in Elementor to prevent exploitation while waiting for patch.
Restrict contributor privileges
allTemporarily remove contributor-level users or restrict their ability to edit pages containing testimonials widgets.
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to limit script execution
- Deploy web application firewall with XSS protection rules
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check WordPress admin > Plugins > Installed Plugins for 'The Plus Addons for Elementor' version. If version is 5.6.2 or lower, you are vulnerable.Check Version:
wp plugin list --name='the-plus-addons-for-elementor-page-builder' --field=versionVerify Fix Applied:
After updating, verify plugin version shows 5.6.3 or higher in WordPress plugins list.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual POST requests to wp-admin/admin-ajax.php with carousel_direction parameter
- Multiple page edits by contributor-level users in short time period
Network Indicators:
- Outbound connections to suspicious domains from your WordPress site
- Unexpected script tags in page responses containing carousel_direction
SIEM Query:
source="wordpress.log" AND "carousel_direction" AND ("POST" OR "admin-ajax")