Plugin Name	Easy Elementor Addons
Type of Vulnerability	Unauthorized access
CVE Number	CVE-2025-54712
Urgency	Low
CVE Publish Date	2025-08-14
Source URL	CVE-2025-54712

Urgent: Easy Elementor Addons (≤ 2.2.7) — Broken Access Control (CVE-2025-54712)

Author: WP­Firewall Security Team
Published: 14 August 2025

Summary

A broken access control vulnerability (CVE-2025-54712) affecting the Easy Elementor Addons WordPress plugin, versions ≤ 2.2.7, was publicly disclosed and fixed in version 2.2.8. The issue allows an authenticated low­privilege user (Subscriber role) to trigger functionality normally reserved for higher­privileged roles because the plugin fails to enforce proper authorization checks (and/or nonce validation) on one or more entry points.

The vulnerability was responsibly reported by a security researcher (credited below). The reported CVSS score is 4.3 (Low), but even low­severity access control flaws deserve attention because they can become part of a multi­stage attack chain. This advisory expands on the public report and provides practical detection, mitigation and hardening guidance from the perspective of a professional WordPress Web Application Firewall provider.

Credits: Researcher Denver Jackson (reported July 27, 2025)
CVE: CVE­2025­54712
Affected versions: ≤ 2.2.7
Fixed in: 2.2.8
Required privilege: Subscriber (authenticated, low privilege)
Patch priority: Low — update recommended

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What is a “Broken Access Control” in WordPress plugins?

Broken access control means the plugin allows an operation to be executed without confirming the caller is authorized to perform that operation. Typical failures include:

• Missing or incorrect current_user_can() checks.
• No nonce verification (check_admin_referer() / wp_verify_nonce()) for state­changing requests.
• Functions exposed via front­end AJAX (admin-ajax.php / WP REST API) that accept requests from any authenticated user (or unauthenticated) without capability checks.
• Relying on client­side or obscurity (hidden form fields) rather than server­side authorization.

In a WordPress context this often translates to subscribers being able to trigger actions reserved for administrators, such as modifying plugin settings, creating content with elevated meta, or triggering server­side behavior that should be restricted.

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Why this vulnerability matters (even if rated “Low”)

• Access control issues are frequently used as building blocks in broader compromises. For example, an attacker that can modify plugin behavior or create content may escalate to social engineering, persistent backdoors, or data leakage.
• The vulnerability is exploitable remotely by an authenticated user (Subscriber). Many sites allow user registration or have subscriber accounts (commenters, members), increasing the attack surface.
• Because the issue can be triggered without administrator credentials, automated scanners and opportunistic attackers may include this flaw in scans and exploit attempts.
• WordPress sites with large user bases or third­party user registration are at higher risk.

The risk is context dependent: on a one­author site with no subscriber accounts the practical risk is low. On community sites, membership sites, or sites using front­end user registration, the threat is materially higher.

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Typical exploitation scenarios

Below are realistic scenarios that show how an attacker could leverage a broken access control bug in a plugin similar to Easy Elementor Addons:

1. Malicious subscriber writes content that looks legitimate
   A subscriber is able to create a post or modify a widget where the plugin stores extra metadata. The attacker includes malicious markup or hidden links that later get published with elevated privileges.
2. Subscriber triggers plugin configuration action
   An authenticated subscriber can call an exposed AJAX action to enable/disable features or create a webhook URL that leaks data. Although not full admin actions, these changes can alter site behavior in surprising ways.
3. Privilege escalation via chained bugs
   The access control flaw is combined with another weakness (e.g., XSS in a settings page) to escalate privileges or persist malicious scripts.
4. Data exfiltration and reconnaissance
   If the exposed endpoint returns sensitive information, an attacker with subscriber access can harvest data that they normally wouldn’t be able to access.

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What the public report tells us (concise)

• Vulnerability type: Broken Access Control (OWASP A1)
• CVSS: 4.3 (Low)
• Affected plugin: Easy Elementor Addons (plugin)
• Vulnerable versions: ≤ 2.2.7
• Fixed in: 2.2.8
• Attacker privilege: Subscriber
• Researcher: Denver Jackson
• Disclosure timeline: Reported 27 Jul 2025; published 14 Aug 2025

Based on the classification and required privilege, the plugin likely exposed at least one server­side action that performs higher­privileged tasks without validating current_user_can() or verifying a nonce.

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Immediate recommended actions for WordPress site owners

1. Update the plugin to 2.2.8 or later immediately.
   This is the definitive fix. Apply updates on staging first if you are managing a large or critical site.
2. If you cannot update immediately, apply temporary mitigations (virtual patching).
   Use your WAF to block the vulnerable endpoints, or add temporary server­side permission checks (examples below).
3. Audit user accounts and roles.
   Remove or reassign any suspicious subscriber accounts. Enforce email verification for new registrations.
4. Harden user registration and capabilities.
   Disable open user registration if not needed. Use plugins or custom code to reduce Subscriber capabilities where possible.
5. Monitor logs and scan for suspicious activity.
   Look for unexpected admin-ajax.php calls, unusual REST API requests, and sudden content changes.
6. Follow a post­update verification checklist.
   After updating to 2.2.8, validate that the plugin functionality works and that the specific endpoints now enforce correct authorization and nonces.

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Recommended technical mitigations & virtual patches

If you manage many sites or cannot update immediately, virtual patching is effective. Below are practical steps we recommend that can be implemented by a firewall or as temporary site-level code.

Note: these examples are generic patterns that should be adapted to the specific plugin endpoints. They are intentionally conservative — block or challenge suspicious requests rather than allow-by-default.

A. WAF rule patterns (conceptual)

1. Block unauthenticated or low­privileged requests to plugin endpoints that should be admin­only:

   • Target: admin-ajax.php with action parameter matching plugin actions (e.g., any action name that contains the plugin slug or known keywords).
   • Condition: user is authenticated but role is Subscriber (or request lack of valid nonce header) OR referer is missing.
   • Action: block or return 403.

   Example ModSecurity-style pseudo rule (adjust names to match your WAF syntax):

   # Block suspicious admin-ajax calls to the plugin action
   SecRule REQUEST_URI "@contains /admin-ajax.php" "phase:2,chain,deny,status:403,msg:'Block potential broken access control exploit - plugin action'
       SecRule ARGS:action "@rx (easy_elementor|eea_|easy_elm)""
   

2. Rate limit or CAPTCHA protect endpoints that accept state­changing input:

   • Apply throttling or challenge responses for repeated admin-ajax.php calls per IP or per user.

3. Block front­end requests where the HTTP body contains suspicious parameters indicating configuration changes:

   • Identify parameter names used by the plugin (e.g., settings, update, save_widgets) and enforce that the request must come from an admin session.

B. WordPress hotfix (quick temporary server-side check)

Add this snippet to a site­specific plugin or mu­plugin to force a capability check on AJAX actions coming from this plugin. Replace 'eea_action_name' with the actual action name or pattern.

<?php
// mu-plugin: 000-wpfirewall-easy-elementor-mitigation.php
add_action( 'admin_init', function() {
    if ( defined( 'DOING_AJAX' ) && DOING_AJAX ) {
        $action = isset( $_REQUEST['action'] ) ? sanitize_text_field( wp_unslash( $_REQUEST['action'] ) ) : '';
        // Replace pattern with plugin action names or plugin slug
        if ( preg_match( '/(easy_elementor|eea_|easy-elm)/i', $action ) ) {
            // If not an admin, block
            if ( ! current_user_can( 'manage_options' ) ) {
                wp_send_json_error( [ 'message' => 'Forbidden' ], 403 );
                exit;
            }
            // Optional: enforce nonce for added safety
            /*
            if ( empty( $_REQUEST['_wpnonce'] ) || ! wp_verify_nonce( $_REQUEST['_wpnonce'], 'expected-nonce' ) ) {
                wp_send_json_error( ['message' => 'Invalid nonce'], 403 );
                exit;
            }
            */
        }
    }
}, 1 );

This code is a defensive, temporary guard that forces admin capability for any AJAX action whose name resembles the plugin slug. It should be removed after upgrading to 2.2.8.

C. Hardening nonces and permission checks in plugin code

If you maintain a fork or must patch in­place:

• Ensure any function registered via add_action('wp_ajax_...') checks:
  • A valid nonce via check_admin_referer() or wp_verify_nonce() for state­changing actions.
  • current_user_can('capability') with an appropriate capability (e.g., manage_options or edit_theme_options).
• For REST API endpoints, use permission_callback to validate capabilities and nonces.

Example recommended handler skeleton:

add_action( 'wp_ajax_my_plugin_update', function() {
    check_admin_referer( 'my_plugin_update_nonce' );
    if ( ! current_user_can( 'manage_options' ) ) {
        wp_send_json_error( [ 'message' => 'Insufficient permissions' ], 403 );
    }
    // safe processing...
});

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Detection: what to look for in logs

• Requests to /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php with action parameters that relate to the plugin and originate from non­admin users.
• POST requests to plugin endpoint URIs where the referer is empty or does not match a protected admin page, particularly from authenticated subscribers.
• Unexpected changes in plugin settings, widget options or injected content authored by low­privilege accounts.
• Repeated attempts from a single IP or accounts to call the same AJAX action.

Sample log search queries:

• Nginx access log: grep "admin-ajax.php" access.log | grep "action=eea_"
• Apache combined log: search for /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php and then inspect POST bodies for suspicious action values.
• WordPress debug log (if enabled): look for plugin errors or warnings during AJAX handling.

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Post­exploit cleanup checklist

1. Isolate the account(s) involved — change their passwords and invalidate sessions.
2. Rotate admin passwords and review admin user list.
3. Restore from a clean backup prior to the suspicious activity if you detect data integrity issues.
4. Search for backdoors or unauthorized admin users. Check plugins, themes, mu­plugins, and the uploads folder for unexpected PHP files.
5. Review server logs for suspicious requests and extract indicators of compromise (IoCs): IPs, user agents, endpoints.
6. Update the plugin and all core/plugins/themes to latest versions.
7. Perform a site malware scan and consider professional incident response if the site hosts sensitive data.

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Why a Web Application Firewall (WAF) helps — what to configure

A well­configured WAF reduces risk by blocking exploit attempts, even before plugin updates are applied. From a WP­Firewall perspective, the most effective protections you can enable quickly are:

• Virtual patching: add rules to block the vulnerable plugin endpoints until a vendor patch is applied.
• Behavioral rules: detect abnormal patterns like subscribers performing state­changing POSTs or repeatedly invoking admin endpoints.
• Rate limiting: reduce ability for automated scanners or exploitation scripts to enumerate endpoints.
• Session and IP reputation: throttle or challenge newly registered accounts performing suspicious operations.
• File integrity monitoring: alert on new PHP files in writable plugin/theme directories or unusual modifications.

WP­Firewall can deliver these protections centrally, with curated rules that match the vulnerability’s behavioral characteristics — enabling protection across many sites instantly while awaiting the plugin upgrade.

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Practical recommendations for site administrators (detailed)

1. Inventory & prioritize:
   • Identify every site that uses Easy Elementor Addons and determine user registration policies for each site.
   • Prioritize high­traffic and multi­user sites for immediate remediation.
2. Patch management:
   • Test plugin updates in staging. Confirm compatibility with your theme and other plugins.
   • Schedule updates outside of peak hours and have rollback procedures.
3. Least privilege:
   • Ensure Subscriber role cannot create posts, upload files, or access admin screens.
   • Use capability management plugins or code to strip unnecessary capabilities from default roles.
4. Secure registrations:
   • Enable email verification and admin approval for new registrations where possible.
   • Use reCAPTCHA or honeypots to deter automated account creations.
5. Audit and monitoring:
   • Enable activity logging for user actions (post creation, plugin settings changes).
   • Monitor WAF logs and set alerts for anomalous admin-ajax traffic.
6. Backup and recovery:
   • Maintain daily backups with offsite retention.
   • Test restore procedures regularly.
7. Harden WordPress:
   • Disable file editing via WP config: define( 'DISALLOW_FILE_EDIT', true );
   • Keep core, themes, and plugins up to date.
   • Limit access to /wp-admin/ via IP allowlisting where practical.

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Example guidance for developers and plugin authors

• Review all AJAX handlers (wp_ajax_ and wp_ajax_nopriv_) and confirm:
  • Does the handler change state or return sensitive information?
  • Is there a nonce check and is it appropriate for the action?
  • Does the handler call current_user_can() with a capability that makes sense?
• For REST API endpoints:
  • Provide a non­trivial permission_callback returning a boolean that enforces capability checks.
  • Avoid exposing administrative or configuration endpoints without strict permissions.
• Consider adding integration tests that assert only users with expected capabilities can call specific endpoints.
• Document expected authorization model clearly in your developer docs.

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Example of a conservative WAF rule set (human readable)

• Block: POST requests to /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php where action matches plugin aliases and the session user role is Subscriber or unauthenticated.
• Challenge: Any front­end request that attempts to update plugin settings should require a valid nonce; if missing, return 403.
• Alert & rate limit: More than X calls to a plugin action within Y seconds from same IP triggers throttling and an alert.

These rules should be tuned to avoid blocking legitimate front­end interactions and should be removed after the official plugin patch is installed.

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Testing and validation after remediation

1. After updating to 2.2.8, validate that previously blocked requests are now either properly authorized or rejected with appropriate HTTP status codes (403).
2. Re-run automated and manual scans to confirm the specific access control issue is closed.
3. Confirm user experience: ensure legitimate subscribers can still perform expected actions (e.g., comment, profile edit) without disruption.
4. Verify WAF rules: remove any temporary, overly broad virtual patches that prevented legitimate behavior, and replace with narrower rules if needed.

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Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Q: My site doesn’t allow user registration — am I safe?
A: If you have no subscriber accounts, the risk is lower. However, consider whether any existing low­privilege accounts (e.g., imported users) are present. Also, malicious admin­side XSS or other vectors can sometimes be combined with access control flaws, so update regardless.

Q: Can I just delete the plugin instead of updating?
A: If you do not use the plugin, remove it entirely. If you need its functionality, update to 2.2.8. Deactivation may reduce risk but uninstalling is safer when functionality is unused.

Q: Are there exploit PoCs available?
A: Public exploitation details are sometimes published for research. We strongly recommend immediate patching or virtual patching rather than attempting to reproduce exploits on production systems.

Q: How long can I rely on a WAF?
A: A WAF provides immediate mitigation and risk reduction, but it is not a substitute for applying vendor patches. Use WAF protections as a bridge until the official update is applied and verified.

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Incident response playbook (concise)

1. Patch the plugin to 2.2.8.
2. Revoke sessions and force password resets for suspicious accounts.
3. Conduct a forensic review of logs and uploaded files.
4. Restore from a clean backup if integrity is in doubt.
5. Harden access controls and monitor for further anomalies.
6. Document the incident, mitigation steps, and lessons learned.

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Closing thoughts from WP­Firewall’s security experts

Broken access control is one of the most common and persistent problem classes in CMS ecosystems. It often doesn’t look severe on paper until it’s exploited in combination with other flaws. Updating vulnerable plugins is the single most effective step you can take. For organizations that manage many sites or need immediate mitigation, virtual patching through a WAF provides fast, practical protection while you test and deploy vendor fixes.

We recommend treating every reported access control issue as an opportunity to strengthen the overall privilege model of your WordPress instance: least privilege, strong nonces, careful registration policies, and continuous monitoring.

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Appendix — Practical quick checklist

• Identify sites running Easy Elementor Addons ≤ 2.2.7
• Update to 2.2.8 (test on staging first)
• If unable to update immediately, enable WAF virtual patch rules to block plugin actions from low­privilege users
• Audit Subscriber accounts and registration settings
• Enable activity logging and monitor admin­ajax and REST endpoints
• Remove unused plugins and perform a full site scan
• After remediation, revalidate functionality and remove temporary WAF rules that are no longer necessary

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If you want help creating tuned, low­risk WAF rules for this vulnerability or need assistance with detection and incident response across multiple WordPress sites, the WP­Firewall team can assist. Sign up for the free protection plan to get started right away: https://my.wp-firewall.com/buy/wp-firewall-free-plan/

— WP­Firewall Security Team