CVE-2023-47504: Elementor Website Builder Auth Bypass

CVE-2023-47504 Overview

CVE-2023-47504 is an Improper Authentication vulnerability affecting the Elementor Website Builder plugin for WordPress. This security flaw allows attackers to access functionality that is not properly constrained by Access Control Lists (ACLs), potentially enabling unauthorized access to sensitive site resources. The vulnerability specifically allows contributors with limited privileges to perform arbitrary attachment reads, exposing confidential media files and attachments stored on the WordPress site.

Critical Impact

Unauthenticated attackers can bypass authentication controls to access restricted functionality, potentially compromising site confidentiality and integrity through arbitrary attachment read capabilities.

Affected Products

• Elementor Website Builder versions up to and including 3.16.4
• WordPress installations running vulnerable Elementor plugin versions
• Both free and premium Elementor installations may be affected

Discovery Timeline

• 2024-04-24 - CVE-2023-47504 published to NVD
• 2025-02-05 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2023-47504

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability stems from improper authentication mechanisms within the Elementor Website Builder plugin. The flaw allows users with contributor-level access to read arbitrary attachments on the WordPress site, bypassing intended access restrictions. In a properly secured WordPress environment, contributors should only have access to their own media uploads and content. However, this authentication bypass enables them to access any attachment on the system, regardless of ownership or privacy settings.

The vulnerability is classified under CWE-287 (Improper Authentication), indicating that the authentication mechanism fails to properly verify user identity or permissions before granting access to protected resources. This represents a fundamental breakdown in the plugin's access control implementation.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2023-47504 lies in insufficient authentication validation within the Elementor plugin's attachment handling functionality. The plugin fails to properly verify that requesting users have appropriate permissions to access specific attachments before serving the content. This allows lower-privileged users (contributors) to craft requests that retrieve attachments they should not have access to, effectively bypassing WordPress's built-in capability system.

Attack Vector

The attack is network-accessible and requires no user interaction. An attacker with at least contributor-level access to a WordPress site running vulnerable Elementor versions can exploit this flaw by sending specially crafted requests to access arbitrary attachments. The attack leverages the improper ACL implementation to enumerate and retrieve sensitive files that may include:

• Private documents and images
• Draft attachments not yet published
• Media files belonging to other users
• Potentially sensitive configuration files uploaded as attachments

Since the vulnerability requires only contributor privileges (a relatively common role in WordPress sites with multiple authors), the barrier to exploitation is low. For detailed technical information, see the Patchstack Vulnerability Database Entry.

Detection Methods for CVE-2023-47504

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual access patterns to WordPress attachment endpoints from contributor-level accounts
• Spike in media file requests that don't correlate with normal editorial workflows
• Access log entries showing sequential or enumerated attachment ID requests
• Contributors accessing attachments outside their typical content scope

Detection Strategies

• Monitor WordPress access logs for abnormal attachment retrieval patterns, particularly from contributor accounts
• Implement file integrity monitoring on the wp-content/uploads directory to detect unauthorized access
• Review audit logs for contributor accounts accessing attachments they did not upload
• Deploy web application firewall (WAF) rules to detect enumeration attacks against attachment endpoints

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed WordPress audit logging to track all media access events
• Configure alerts for contributors accessing more than a threshold number of attachments in a short timeframe
• Monitor for requests with sequential or suspicious attachment ID patterns
• Implement real-time alerting on the SentinelOne platform for WordPress-specific threat behaviors

How to Mitigate CVE-2023-47504

Immediate Actions Required

• Update Elementor Website Builder to version 3.16.5 or later immediately
• Audit contributor account activity for any signs of exploitation
• Review and restrict contributor permissions where possible
• Temporarily disable contributor access if immediate patching is not feasible

Patch Information

Elementor has addressed this vulnerability in versions released after 3.16.4. Site administrators should update to the latest available version of the Elementor Website Builder plugin through the WordPress admin dashboard or by downloading directly from the official Elementor website. The patch implements proper authentication checks before allowing attachment access, ensuring users can only retrieve attachments they are authorized to view.

Workarounds

• Restrict or remove contributor-level accounts until the patch can be applied
• Implement additional server-level access controls on the wp-content/uploads directory
• Use a WordPress security plugin to add additional authentication layers to sensitive endpoints
• Configure WordPress to require administrator approval for all contributor actions

# WordPress configuration hardening example
# Add to wp-config.php to restrict file access capabilities
# Note: This is a general hardening measure, not a complete fix

# Disable file editing in WordPress admin
define('DISALLOW_FILE_EDIT', true);

# Force SSL for admin and logins
define('FORCE_SSL_ADMIN', true);

# Review and audit user roles
# wp-cli command to list contributors
wp user list --role=contributor --format=table