CVE-2024-8236: Elementor Website Builder XSS Vulnerability

CVE-2024-8236 Overview

The Elementor Website Builder plugin for WordPress contains a Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the url parameter of the Icon widget. This vulnerability affects all versions up to and including 3.25.7 and stems from insufficient input sanitization and output escaping. Authenticated attackers with Contributor-level access or higher can inject arbitrary web scripts into pages, which execute whenever a user accesses the compromised page.

Critical Impact

Authenticated attackers can inject persistent malicious scripts that execute in the context of victim browsers, potentially leading to session hijacking, defacement, or malware distribution on affected WordPress sites.

Affected Products

• Elementor Website Builder (Free) for WordPress versions up to and including 3.25.7

Discovery Timeline

• 2024-11-26 - CVE-2024-8236 published to NVD
• 2025-04-21 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-8236

Vulnerability Analysis

This Stored XSS vulnerability exists in the Icon widget component of the Elementor Website Builder plugin. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-79 (Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation). The flaw requires an authenticated attacker with at least Contributor-level privileges to exploit, and successful exploitation requires user interaction when a victim accesses the injected page.

The vulnerability allows scripts to be stored persistently on the server and executed in the security context of other users' browsers. Due to the changed scope characteristic, the impact extends beyond the vulnerable component to affect the victim's browser session. While the confidentiality and integrity impacts are limited, this vulnerability could be leveraged as part of a larger attack chain against WordPress administrators.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is insufficient input sanitization and output escaping in the Icon widget's url parameter handling. The affected code can be found in the icon.php file at line 489, where user-supplied URL input is not properly sanitized before being rendered in the page output. This allows specially crafted input containing JavaScript code to bypass security controls and be stored in the database, later executing when the page is rendered for visitors.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based, requiring the attacker to have authenticated access with Contributor-level privileges or above on the target WordPress installation. The attacker crafts a malicious URL value containing JavaScript payload and submits it through the Icon widget's URL parameter in the Elementor page builder interface.

When the page containing the malicious Icon widget is saved, the unescaped JavaScript is stored in the WordPress database. Subsequently, any user who views the page—including administrators—will have the malicious script execute in their browser context. This can lead to cookie theft, session hijacking, phishing attacks, or further compromise of the WordPress installation.

The attack requires low complexity and no special conditions beyond the authentication requirement. Technical details of the vulnerable code path are available in the WordPress Elementor File Reference.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-8236

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual JavaScript code embedded in Icon widget URL parameters within the WordPress database
• Unexpected script execution or browser behavior when viewing pages built with Elementor
• User reports of suspicious redirects or pop-ups on Elementor-built pages
• Database entries containing encoded or obfuscated JavaScript in wp_postmeta related to Elementor widgets

Detection Strategies

• Review WordPress database for suspicious content in Elementor widget configurations, particularly in Icon widget URL fields
• Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect XSS payloads in POST requests to WordPress admin endpoints
• Monitor for unusual Contributor-level user activity, especially bulk page editing or widget modifications
• Deploy client-side XSS detection tools to identify malicious script execution on frontend pages

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed WordPress audit logging to track page and widget modifications by Contributor-level users
• Configure alerts for rapid content changes across multiple pages by single user accounts
• Monitor browser-side security reports through Content-Security-Policy violation logging
• Review Elementor page revisions regularly for unauthorized or suspicious modifications

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-8236

Immediate Actions Required

• Update Elementor Website Builder plugin to a version newer than 3.25.7 immediately
• Audit existing pages built with Elementor for potentially injected malicious scripts, focusing on Icon widget configurations
• Review and restrict Contributor-level user accounts to trusted individuals only
• Implement Content-Security-Policy headers to mitigate the impact of any successful XSS exploitation

Patch Information

Elementor has released a security patch addressing this vulnerability. The fix implements proper input sanitization and output escaping for the url parameter in the Icon widget. Details of the security changes can be reviewed in WordPress Changeset #3192020. Users should update to the latest available version of the Elementor Website Builder plugin through the WordPress admin dashboard or by downloading from the official WordPress plugin repository.

Additional technical analysis is available from Wordfence Vulnerability Analysis.

Workarounds

• Temporarily demote Contributor-level users to Subscriber role until the patch can be applied
• Disable the Icon widget through custom code or security plugins if not actively needed
• Implement a WAF rule to filter suspicious characters in Elementor widget parameters
• Enable a strong Content-Security-Policy that restricts inline script execution

# Example Content-Security-Policy header configuration for Apache
# Add to .htaccess or Apache configuration
Header set Content-Security-Policy "default-src 'self'; script-src 'self' 'unsafe-inline' https://trusted-cdn.example.com; object-src 'none';"