插件名称	Type of Vulnerability	CVE Number	紧迫性	CVE Publish Date	Source URL
Ultimate Addons for Elementor	Settings Misconfiguration	CVE-2025-8488	低的	2025-08-04	View Source

Critical Access Control Vulnerability in Ultimate Addons for Elementor Lite Plugin: What WordPress Users Must Know Today

An in-depth analysis of the recent broken access control vulnerability in Ultimate Addons for Elementor Lite (<=2.4.6), practical risk assessment, and mitigation strategies from a WordPress security standpoint.

作者： WP-Firewall Security Team | 日期： 2025-08-10

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Understanding the Latest Access Control Vulnerability in Ultimate Addons for Elementor Lite Plugin (Versions <= 2.4.6)

WordPress remains the world’s most popular content management system. Unfortunately, with popularity comes increased attention by attackers, constantly probing for weaknesses—not just in WordPress core but also in its extensive ecosystem of plugins and themes. One recent vulnerability that demands every WordPress site owner’s attention is the broken access control issue discovered in the Ultimate Addons for Elementor Lite plugin, affecting versions up to 2.4.6.

This blog aims to shed light on the nature of this vulnerability, its risks, the critical need for timely patching, and additional protective measures you can take to safeguard your WordPress website.

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What Is Broken Access Control and Why Does It Matter?

First, let’s clarify the terminology to ensure all WordPress users understand the risks at stake.

访问控制失效 refers to a security weakness where a user can perform operations or view data beyond their authorized privileges due to missing or improper enforcement of permissions. In simpler terms, it means the plugin fails to restrict certain sensitive actions to the right user roles.

For example, a subscriber-level user, typically with very limited capabilities, might be able to update plugin settings or perform administrative actions they should never access. This flaw threatens the integrity, confidentiality, and availability of your website and its data.

According to the OWASP Top 10 — the industry benchmark for web security risks — access control failures are classified under A5：访问控制失效, highlighting their criticality.

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Breakdown of the Vulnerability in Ultimate Addons for Elementor Lite Plugin

Affected Plugin and Versions

• Plugin: Ultimate Addons for Elementor – Lite
• 易受攻击的版本： All versions up to and including 2.4.6
• 修复版本： 2.4.7 and later

Nature of the Vulnerability

The core flaw lies in missing authorization checks on certain limited settings update functionalities. Specifically, the plugin was allowing authenticated users with subscriber-level privileges (the lowest built-in role in WordPress) to make modifications that should require higher privileges.

This means an attacker or a malicious actor who gained access to a subscriber account — which might be created legitimately or by exploiting weak authentication — could trigger changes in plugin settings, potentially impacting the appearance, behavior, or security posture of the website.

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Potential Impact of This Vulnerability

While the CVSS score rates this vulnerability at 5.4 (Low severity), its implications should not be dismissed lightly—especially in shared or multi-user environments.

What Could Go Wrong?

• Unauthorized Configuration Changes: Subscribers could alter critical plugin settings, leading to site malfunctions or exploitable states.
• Chain Exploits: The issue may serve as a stepping stone for further attacks, combining this flaw with others like Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) or privilege escalation.
• Defacement or Disruption: Maliciously altering header, footer, or other UI elements managed by the plugin can deface or mislead visitors.
• Reputation and Trust Damage: Even minor breaches of expected access levels shake visitor confidence and could lead to broader security investigations.

Who Is at Risk?

• Sites that allow user registrations with subscriber or similar low-level roles without strict control.
• Multi-author blogs, membership sites, learning platforms, or e-commerce sites where users receive minimal privileges but still interact with the back end.
• Those who have NOT updated Ultimate Addons for Elementor Lite plugin beyond version 2.4.6.

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A Closer Look: How Do Such Access Control Vulnerabilities Arise?

Developing secure code for complex WordPress plugins is challenging. Access control vulnerabilities often originate when:

• Developers omit authorization (capability) checks before executing sensitive functions.
• Nonce verification (security token checks) is missing or improperly handled.
• Logic errors assume end-users won’t have lower privilege accounts.
• Backward compatibility considerations lead to legacy permission gaps.

In this particular case, a low privileged subscriber could abuse functionalities designed for admins or editors — exposing a critical trust boundary breach.

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Immediate Remedial Actions: How to Protect Your Website Now

Update the Plugin Without Delay

The simplest and most effective mitigation is to update the Ultimate Addons for Elementor Lite plugin to version 2.4.7 or later, where the flaw has been corrected by the developer.

• If you manage multiple sites, prioritize applying this update to all vulnerable installations.
• If automatic updates are enabled, confirm the update succeeded and the version reflects 2.4.7+.
• Review the plugin’s changelog for any additional security fixes.

Review User Roles and Permissions

• Audit your site’s user accounts, especially those with the subscriber role.
• Remove or suspend unused or suspicious accounts.
• Enforce strong password policies for all users.
• Consider implementing two-factor authentication, even for low privilege users.

Harden WordPress Security Posture

• Use a Web Application Firewall (WAF) to detect and block attempts to exploit permission flaws.
• Enable monitoring solutions that alert on unusual user behavior, such as subscribers attempting to update settings.
• Apply the principle of least privilege consistently across your user base.
• Periodically scan your WordPress environment with a robust malware and vulnerability scanner.

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Why Relying on Plugin Updates Alone Isn’t Enough

While patching this vulnerability is crucial, it’s important to realize that zero-day vulnerabilities or unpatched flaws remain a threat until fixed and rolled out.

Attackers often automate scans to find vulnerable plugins on thousands of sites and attempt exploits at scale in short time frames after disclosure.

Herein lies another protective layer: 虚拟补丁 or managed firewall rules that can block exploit attempts even before an official update is installed.

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How a Proactive WordPress Firewall Enhances Protection

Modern WordPress security is no longer just about updating plugins and themes. Proactive defense involves:

• Intrusion Prevention: Blocking unauthorized requests that attempt to execute actions beyond user privilege.
• Mitigation of OWASP Top 10 Risks: Filters targeting widespread attack vectors including Broken Access Control.
• Malware Scanning and Quick Alerts: Detecting injected malicious code as a result of exploitation.
• 虚拟修补： Applying custom firewall rules to protect known vulnerabilities instantly.

By integrating such a solution into your defense-in-depth strategy, you reduce the risk window between vulnerability disclosures and patches.

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Looking Beyond This Vulnerability: A Pattern of Risk in WordPress Ecosystem

Broken access control vulnerabilities often highlight systemic risks present in WordPress plugins, including:

• Over-permissioned roles or careless user management.
• Lack of comprehensive security reviews during plugin development.
• Developers occasionally prioritizing feature delivery over hardened security.

WordPress site owners should cultivate a culture of continuous security improvement by:

• Regularly reviewing active plugins and themes.
• Removing abandoned or infrequently updated plugins.
• Leveraging professional security services that provide vulnerability intelligence and responsive protections.

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最后的想法

The broken access control vulnerability uncovered in Ultimate Addons for Elementor Lite plugin <=2.4.6 is a clear reminder that every WordPress website is potentially at risk when plugins or themes neglect strict authorization controls.

Mitigating this must be swift and comprehensive: update the plugin immediately, audit user privileges, and employ strategic security layers including a powerful WordPress firewall.

Unexpected access privileges in CMS plugins are a common target for attackers, but with vigilance and layered defenses, the risks become manageable.

Your website’s security is an ongoing commitment — start with solid protection today to stay resilient tomorrow.

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Stay informed, stay secure.
Your WordPress Security Experts at WP-Firewall