Elementor Plugin XSS Vulnerability Discovered

Critical Security Alert: Understanding the XSS Vulnerability in Responsive Addons for Elementor Plugin (Version 1.6.9)

A significant security vulnerability has been identified in the Responsive Addons for Elementor plugin, affecting versions up to and including 1.6.9. This vulnerability is classified as an Authenticated Contributor Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability, specifically involving the "rael-title-tag" parameter. With a CVSS score of 6.5 indicating medium severity, this security issue could allow malicious actors with contributor-level access to inject harmful scripts into WordPress websites, potentially compromising user data and website integrity. Website administrators using this popular Elementor addon should take immediate action to protect their sites from this security threat.

Understanding Cross-Site Scripting Vulnerabilities

Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) represents one of the most prevalent web application security vulnerabilities in the WordPress ecosystem. These attacks allow malicious actors to inject client-side scripts into web pages that are subsequently viewed by other users. The vulnerability in the Responsive Addons for Elementor plugin falls into the category of Stored XSS, which is particularly dangerous for several reasons.

Unlike reflected XSS attacks that require victims to click on specially crafted links, stored XSS payloads remain persistent on the website by being permanently stored on target servers—typically in a database, message forum, visitor log, or comment field. This persistence means the malicious script executes automatically whenever users visit the affected page, requiring no additional user interaction. The injected script runs within the user's browser with the privileges of the website, potentially compromising sensitive user data or website functionality.

The vulnerability specifically stems from inadequate validation and sanitization of user inputs in the Responsive Addons for Elementor plugin. When the plugin fails to properly sanitize or escape user-provided content before storing it in the database and subsequently rendering it back to users, it creates an attack vector that can be exploited by malicious actors. This security oversight is unfortunately common in web development, particularly in the WordPress plugin ecosystem where third-party extensions frequently introduce additional attack surfaces.

Technical Mechanics of Stored XSS Attacks

Stored XSS attacks exploit the fundamental trust relationship between a website and its users' browsers. When a visitor loads a page containing previously stored malicious JavaScript code, their browser executes this code in the context of their current session with the website. This execution occurs because browsers cannot distinguish between legitimate script content belonging to the website and malicious scripts injected by attackers. The browser simply follows its programming, executing any script content embedded within the HTML received from the server.

In the specific case of the Responsive Addons for Elementor vulnerability, authenticated users with contributor-level access can inject malicious JavaScript code via the "rael-title-tag" parameter. This malicious code gets stored in the WordPress database and is later displayed to site visitors and administrators. When their browsers render the page containing this code, the script executes within their browsing session, potentially allowing attackers to perform various malicious actions including:

• Cookie theft and session hijacking
• Credential harvesting through fake login forms
• Redirection to phishing or malware distribution sites
• Website defacement or content modification
• Browser-based cryptocurrency mining

This vulnerability is particularly concerning because it allows attackers with relatively limited privileges (contributor access) to potentially impact users with higher privileges, such as administrators, by having their malicious code execute in the context of those users' sessions. An attacker could potentially gain administrative access to the website by stealing session cookies or tricking administrators into revealing their credentials.

Vulnerability Details and Impact Assessment

The vulnerability discovered in Responsive Addons for Elementor (versions ≤ 1.6.9) has been assigned a CVSS score of 6.5, reflecting its medium severity level that nonetheless requires prompt attention from website administrators. The security issue specifically involves the "rael-title-tag" parameter, which lacks proper input validation and output escaping mechanisms. This oversight creates an exploit path that allows malicious users with contributor-level access to inject arbitrary JavaScript code that will be executed when other users view the affected content.

This vulnerability is not an isolated incident within the Elementor ecosystem. Similar security issues have been identified in other Elementor addons, revealing a pattern of security challenges. For instance, Essential Addons for Elementor suffered from a reflected XSS vulnerability (CVE-2025-24752) that potentially affected over two million websites. Additionally, Exclusive Addons for Elementor experienced a stored XSS vulnerability (CVE-2024-1234) up to version 2.6.9, which also allowed attackers with contributor-level permissions to inject malicious JavaScript.

Exploitation Scenarios and Risk Factors

The exploitation of this vulnerability requires an attacker to have authenticated access to the WordPress site with at least contributor-level permissions. While this requirement does limit the pool of potential attackers, it still presents a significant risk for websites that allow contributor registrations or have multiple content authors. In a typical exploitation scenario, an attacker who has obtained contributor credentials would:

1. Log in to the WordPress dashboard with contributor privileges
2. Create or edit content using the vulnerable Responsive Addons for Elementor components
3. Inject malicious JavaScript code through the "rael-title-tag" parameter
4. Publish or submit the content for review
5. Wait for administrators or other users to view the content, triggering the malicious code execution

The potential impact of successful exploitation includes cookie theft, session hijacking, phishing attacks, and website defacement. Attackers could potentially steal session tokens from administrators, effectively gaining unauthorized administrative access to the website. They could also inject scripts that redirect users to malicious websites, distribute malware, or modify the appearance and content of the website to damage its reputation. The severity is amplified by the fact that this vulnerability allows attackers to escalate their privileges by targeting higher-privileged users who view the compromised content.

Impact on WordPress Website Security

The stored XSS vulnerability in Responsive Addons for Elementor represents a significant security concern for WordPress websites utilizing this plugin. When exploited, this vulnerability can lead to various harmful outcomes that extend far beyond simple annoyances or temporary disruptions. The impact can range from targeted information theft to complete website compromise, with potential consequences for both website owners and their visitors.

Attackers can inject malicious scripts that steal sensitive cookies or session information from administrators and other users who view the affected pages. This stolen information can then be used to impersonate legitimate users, potentially gaining unauthorized administrative access to the WordPress dashboard. Once an attacker has administrative access, they effectively control the entire website and can install backdoors, modify critical website files, access sensitive user data, or completely take over the site infrastructure.

Website defacement is another potential consequence of this vulnerability. Attackers can inject scripts that alter the visual elements of a website, replacing legitimate content with offensive material or competitor advertisements. Such defacement can cause significant damage to a brand's reputation and user trust. Additionally, XSS vulnerabilities can be used to distribute malware by redirecting unsuspecting visitors to malicious websites or by directly injecting malware-downloading code into the compromised pages. These attacks not only harm website visitors but can also result in the website being blacklisted by search engines and security services, further damaging the website's visibility and reputation.

Relationship to Other Elementor Ecosystem Vulnerabilities

The vulnerability in Responsive Addons for Elementor is part of a concerning pattern of security issues within the broader Elementor plugin ecosystem. In April 2025, a WordPress vulnerability report identified 612 publicly disclosed vulnerabilities across various plugins, many of which were Elementor addons with XSS vulnerabilities that had no available fixes at the time of disclosure1. Earlier, in 2020, serious vulnerabilities were discovered in Elementor Pro and Ultimate Addons for Elementor, which attackers actively exploited in combination to compromise websites.

The impact of these vulnerabilities is magnified by the widespread use of Elementor and its addon ecosystem. For example, when a critical XSS vulnerability was discovered in Essential Addons for Elementor, it potentially affected over two million websites globally. Similarly, in 2023, a vulnerability in the same plugin led to a mass infection campaign that compromised thousands of websites within just 24 hours of the vulnerability's disclosure.

These recurring security issues highlight the importance of vigilant security practices when using third-party extensions for popular WordPress page builders. The history of exploitation across the Elementor ecosystem underscores the real-world risks associated with XSS vulnerabilities in popular WordPress plugins and emphasizes the importance of prompt patching and proactive security measures, especially for websites that form the foundation of business operations and online presence.

Mitigation Strategies and Recommendations

The most effective mitigation for the Responsive Addons for Elementor vulnerability is to update the plugin to version 1.6.9.1 or later, which contains the necessary security patches. Website administrators should prioritize this update, especially if their websites allow contributor-level users to create or edit content. This immediate action is the first line of defense against potential exploitation.

Beyond addressing this specific vulnerability, implementing a comprehensive security strategy is essential for maintaining overall WordPress website security. Consider the following recommendations:

1. Implement a regular update schedule: Maintain all WordPress components—including core files, themes, and plugins—on the latest secure versions. Many security vulnerabilities are discovered and patched regularly, making timely updates a fundamental security practice.
2. Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF): WAFs can detect and block malicious inputs before they reach vulnerable applications, helping to mitigate exploitation attempts even for unpatched vulnerabilities. These security tools provide an additional layer of protection against a wide range of web attacks.
3. Conduct regular security scanning: Utilize specialized WordPress security plugins to identify potential vulnerabilities and suspicious code modifications. Regular scans can detect compromise indicators early, enabling faster remediation.
4. Implement the principle of least privilege: Carefully manage user roles and permissions to limit what authenticated users can do on the website. Restrict contributor and author accounts to only the functionality they absolutely need, reducing the potential impact of account compromise.
5. Monitor website activities: Implement logging and monitoring solutions to detect suspicious activities, such as unusual login attempts or unexpected content changes. Early detection of security incidents can significantly reduce their impact.

Developer Considerations for XSS Prevention

For developers creating or maintaining WordPress plugins, preventing XSS vulnerabilities requires implementing proper input validation and output sanitization throughout the codebase. All user-provided data should be treated as potentially malicious and properly sanitized before storage and escaped before output. WordPress provides several built-in functions specifically designed for this purpose:

• sanitize_text_field() for cleaning general input
• sanitize_textarea_field() for multi-line content
• esc_html() for escaping HTML content
• esc_attr() for escaping HTML attributes
• esc_url() for sanitizing URLs
• wp_kses() for allowing only specific HTML tags and attributes

Developers should use these functions consistently for all user-controllable inputs to prevent XSS vulnerabilities. Additionally, implementing Content Security Policy (CSP) headers can provide an extra layer of defense by restricting the sources from which scripts can be loaded, potentially mitigating the impact of successful XSS injections.

The recurring pattern of XSS vulnerabilities in WordPress plugins highlights the importance of security-focused code reviews and testing during the development process. Developers should implement automated testing that specifically targets security concerns, including tests for proper input validation and output sanitization. Regular security audits by qualified security professionals can identify potential vulnerabilities before they are exploited in the wild. By prioritizing security throughout the development lifecycle, plugin developers can help protect the millions of WordPress websites that rely on their code for critical functionality.

Conclusion

The Stored XSS vulnerability in Responsive Addons for Elementor underscores the ongoing security challenges within the WordPress ecosystem, particularly for websites using third-party plugins and extensions. While this specific vulnerability requires authenticated access, its potential impact on website security remains significant, especially for sites with multiple users or those that allow contributor registrations. The vulnerability's classification as medium severity with a CVSS score of 6.5 reflects its potential to compromise user data and website integrity if exploited successfully.

This security issue serves as a reminder of the importance of maintaining a proactive security posture for WordPress websites. Regular updates, careful user permission management, implementation of security plugins and WAFs, and periodic security audits are all essential components of a comprehensive website security strategy. By implementing these measures, website administrators can significantly reduce the risk posed by this and similar vulnerabilities, protecting both their website and its users from potential security breaches.

Understanding the technical details and potential impact of vulnerabilities like the one in Responsive Addons for Elementor enables website administrators to make informed security decisions. By staying informed about emerging security threats and implementing appropriate mitigation strategies promptly, administrators can maintain the security and integrity of their WordPress websites despite the evolving threat landscape. The security of a WordPress website is an ongoing process rather than a one-time task, requiring continuous vigilance and adaptation to new security challenges as they emerge.

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