CVE-2024-43932 Overview
CVE-2024-43932 is a missing authorization vulnerability in the POSIMYTH The Plus Addons for Elementor Page Builder Lite WordPress plugin. The flaw affects all versions up to and including 5.6.2. An authenticated attacker with low privileges can invoke plugin functions that lack proper capability checks over the network. Successful exploitation impacts confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected WordPress site. The weakness is tracked as CWE-862: Missing Authorization and was published by Patchstack as the disclosing authority.
Critical Impact
Low-privileged users can execute privileged plugin actions on WordPress sites running vulnerable versions of The Plus Addons for Elementor Page Builder Lite, leading to full site compromise.
Affected Products
- POSIMYTH The Plus Addons for Elementor Page Builder Lite versions through 5.6.2
- WordPress sites with the the-plus-addons-for-elementor-page-builder plugin installed and activated
- Free (Lite) edition distributed via the WordPress plugin directory
Discovery Timeline
- 2024-11-01 - CVE-2024-43932 published to NVD
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2024-43932
Vulnerability Analysis
The plugin exposes actions that operate on privileged plugin state without verifying whether the calling user holds an appropriate WordPress capability. Because the checks are missing rather than merely weak, any authenticated session, including a subscriber role account created through open registration, can reach the affected code paths. The result is a broken access control condition where authorization decisions rely solely on authentication.
WordPress plugins commonly gate administrative functionality with current_user_can() and nonce validation via check_ajax_referer(). When these controls are absent from AJAX handlers or REST routes, attackers can send crafted requests directly to admin-ajax.php or a REST endpoint and trigger actions intended for administrators. The Patchstack advisory classifies this issue as broken access control affecting plugin versions up to 5.6.2.
Root Cause
The root cause is the absence of capability enforcement on one or more plugin action handlers. Authorization logic that should restrict operations to users with roles such as administrator or editor is missing, allowing any authenticated request to proceed. This is a design-level failure to apply the principle of least privilege inside the plugin's request routing layer.
Attack Vector
Exploitation requires network access to the WordPress site and a valid low-privileged account. The attacker submits an HTTP request to the plugin's exposed action, supplying parameters that alter plugin configuration, content, or protected data. No user interaction is required beyond the attacker's own request. Refer to the Patchstack Vulnerability Report for the disclosed technical details.
Detection Methods for CVE-2024-43932
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected POST requests from low-privileged accounts to /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php referencing plugin actions from the-plus-addons-for-elementor-page-builder.
- Configuration or content changes in Elementor widgets that do not correspond to administrator activity in the WordPress audit log.
- New or modified WordPress user accounts, options, or wp_options rows created shortly after subscriber-level authentication events.
Detection Strategies
- Inventory WordPress installations and flag any running the-plus-addons-for-elementor-page-builder at version 5.6.2 or earlier.
- Correlate WordPress authentication logs with admin-ajax.php and REST API access logs to identify low-privileged users invoking plugin endpoints.
- Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) ruleset that inspects requests to plugin AJAX actions for callers lacking administrator sessions.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable WordPress audit logging to capture role changes, option updates, and plugin setting modifications with user attribution.
- Alert on newly registered accounts that access admin-ajax.php within minutes of registration.
- Track outbound anomalies from the web server that could indicate follow-on activity after successful exploitation.
How to Mitigate CVE-2024-43932
Immediate Actions Required
- Update The Plus Addons for Elementor Page Builder Lite to a version later than 5.6.2 on all WordPress sites.
- Audit user accounts and remove unrecognized subscriber or higher-privileged users created during the exposure window.
- Rotate credentials and application passwords for any account that could have been used to reach the vulnerable endpoints.
Patch Information
POSIMYTH addressed the missing authorization issue in a release after 5.6.2. Consult the Patchstack Vulnerability Report and the plugin listing in the WordPress plugin directory for the fixed version and changelog entries.
Workarounds
- Disable open user registration by unchecking Anyone can register in WordPress Settings > General until the plugin is updated.
- Deactivate the the-plus-addons-for-elementor-page-builder plugin if a patched version cannot be applied immediately.
- Restrict access to /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php and REST routes using WAF or reverse-proxy rules that require an administrator session for plugin-specific actions.
# Verify installed plugin version and update via WP-CLI
wp plugin get the-plus-addons-for-elementor-page-builder --field=version
wp plugin update the-plus-addons-for-elementor-page-builder
# Deactivate the plugin as a temporary workaround
wp plugin deactivate the-plus-addons-for-elementor-page-builder
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
