CVE-2024-24833 Overview
CVE-2024-24833 is a Missing Authorization vulnerability [CWE-862] in the Happy Addons for Elementor WordPress plugin developed by HappyMonster (Leevio). The flaw affects all plugin versions up to and including 3.10.1 and stems from a broken access control check on the post clone functionality. Authenticated users with low-level privileges can invoke the clone action without proper capability validation. Successful exploitation impacts confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected WordPress site.
Critical Impact
An authenticated attacker with minimal privileges can abuse the post clone feature to duplicate arbitrary posts, potentially exposing draft or private content and altering site state.
Affected Products
- Happy Addons for Elementor (free) — versions up to and including 3.10.1
- WordPress sites running the happy-elementor-addons plugin
- Deployments where low-privileged authenticated users have access to the WordPress dashboard
Discovery Timeline
- 2024-05-08 - CVE-2024-24833 published to NVD
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2024-24833
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability resides in the post clone feature of the Happy Addons for Elementor plugin. The plugin exposes an action handler that duplicates existing posts but fails to verify whether the requesting user holds the required capability to perform that operation. This is a classic Missing Authorization weakness [CWE-862], where the presence of authentication is confirmed but authorization is not enforced.
The attack requires an authenticated session with low privileges. Because the action is reachable over the network via standard WordPress request handling, exploitation does not require user interaction beyond issuing a crafted request. The scope covers content duplication, which can lead to disclosure of non-published posts, unauthorized site modification, and downstream operational impact.
Review the Patchstack Vulnerability Report for the full technical write-up.
Root Cause
The root cause is the absence of a capability check (for example, current_user_can()) and nonce validation on the post clone request handler. The code path trusts that any authenticated user reaching the endpoint is authorized to clone posts, which violates the WordPress capability model.
Attack Vector
An attacker with a low-privileged authenticated account, such as a Contributor or Subscriber, sends a crafted request to the plugin's clone action. Because the handler does not validate the user's role or ownership of the target post, the request succeeds and produces a duplicate of the specified post. See the Patchstack Security Analysis for exploitation context.
Detection Methods for CVE-2024-24833
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected duplicate posts appearing in the WordPress wp_posts table, particularly copies of drafts or private content.
- Access log entries showing POST or GET requests to Happy Addons clone action endpoints originating from low-privileged user sessions.
- Sudden spikes in admin-ajax.php or admin-post requests referencing the plugin's clone parameter from non-admin accounts.
Detection Strategies
- Inventory WordPress installations and identify sites running happy-elementor-addons at version 3.10.1 or earlier.
- Correlate WordPress audit logs with web server access logs to identify clone actions initiated by users lacking editor or administrator roles.
- Alert on post creation events where the author role does not match the expected capability for content duplication.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable a WordPress activity logging plugin to capture post creation, modification, and cloning events with user attribution.
- Forward WordPress and web server logs to a centralized SIEM for behavioral analysis and long-term retention.
- Monitor plugin version inventories continuously and flag hosts running vulnerable versions of Happy Addons for Elementor.
How to Mitigate CVE-2024-24833
Immediate Actions Required
- Update Happy Addons for Elementor to a version later than 3.10.1 as published by the vendor on the WordPress plugin repository.
- Audit existing WordPress user accounts and remove or downgrade unused low-privileged accounts that could be leveraged for exploitation.
- Review the wp_posts table for anomalous duplicate entries created since the plugin was installed.
Patch Information
The vendor addressed the broken access control issue in a release subsequent to 3.10.1. Refer to the Patchstack Vulnerability Report for fixed version details and update the plugin through the WordPress admin dashboard or via WP-CLI.
Workarounds
- If patching is not immediately possible, deactivate the Happy Addons for Elementor plugin until an update is applied.
- Restrict WordPress dashboard access to trusted IP ranges using web server or WAF rules to limit exposure of the vulnerable endpoint.
- Apply a virtual patch through a web application firewall to block requests targeting the plugin's clone action from non-administrator sessions.
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
