CVE-2025-14732 Overview
CVE-2025-14732 is a Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Elementor Website Builder plugin for WordPress. The flaw affects all versions up to and including 3.35.5 and stems from insufficient input sanitization and output escaping in several widget parameters. Authenticated users with Contributor-level access or higher can inject arbitrary web scripts into pages. The injected payloads execute in the browser of any visitor who accesses an affected page, enabling session theft, redirection, and account takeover scenarios. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-87: Improper Neutralization of Alternate XSS Syntax.
Critical Impact
Contributor-level authenticated attackers can store malicious JavaScript in widget parameters that executes against site visitors and administrators.
Affected Products
- Elementor Website Builder – More Than Just a Page Builder plugin for WordPress
- All versions through 3.35.5
- Fixed in version 3.35.6
Discovery Timeline
- 2026-04-08 - CVE-2025-14732 published to NVD
- 2026-04-27 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-14732
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability resides in the Elementor plugin's handling of widget parameters submitted through the WordPress REST API. The plugin fails to apply sufficient sanitization on input and does not properly escape output when rendering widget content on the page. Because Elementor stores widget configurations as post meta, attacker-supplied JavaScript is persisted alongside legitimate page content. When any user later views the affected page, the browser parses and executes the injected script in the site's origin. The flaw is exploitable by accounts with Contributor capabilities, a low privilege threshold for many WordPress deployments that accept guest authors or community contributors. Successful exploitation can lead to administrator session hijacking, persistent backdoor installation, and full site compromise through privilege escalation chains.
Root Cause
The root cause is improper neutralization of alternate XSS syntax in widget parameter handlers within modules/wp-rest/classes/elementor-post-meta.php. The code path accepts widget data without applying WordPress sanitization helpers such as wp_kses_post and does not enforce strict output escaping during page rendering. See the WordPress Elementor Code Review for the affected source.
Attack Vector
An authenticated attacker with Contributor-level access creates or edits a post containing an Elementor-built layout. The attacker injects crafted JavaScript payloads into susceptible widget parameters using alternate encoding or syntax variations that bypass the existing filters. The malicious payload is stored as post meta. When an administrator previews the page or any visitor views the published post, the script executes in their browser. The scope is changed because the script runs in the WordPress site context but can affect users beyond the attacker's authorization boundary.
No verified public exploit code is currently available. Refer to the Wordfence Vulnerability Analysis for additional technical context.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-14732
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected <script> tags, javascript: URIs, or event handler attributes (onerror, onload) stored within Elementor post meta entries in the wp_postmeta table.
- Outbound browser requests from administrators to unfamiliar domains immediately after viewing posts authored by Contributor accounts.
- New administrator accounts or modified user roles created shortly after Contributor account activity.
Detection Strategies
- Audit the wp_postmeta table for keys associated with Elementor (_elementor_data) and search the serialized JSON for HTML or JavaScript syntax in fields that should contain plain text.
- Review WordPress REST API access logs for POST and PUT requests to Elementor post meta endpoints originating from Contributor accounts.
- Inspect page DOM for inline scripts that do not correspond to known plugins or themes.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable WordPress audit logging to capture post edits, role changes, and REST API activity by non-administrator users.
- Monitor web server logs for anomalous response sizes on pages edited by low-privilege users, which can indicate injected payloads.
- Alert on creation or modification of administrator accounts following recent Contributor-level edits to Elementor pages.
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-14732
Immediate Actions Required
- Upgrade the Elementor plugin to version 3.35.6 or later on all WordPress instances.
- Audit existing Contributor, Author, and Editor accounts and remove any that are unnecessary or inactive.
- Review recently edited Elementor pages for unauthorized script content before re-publishing.
Patch Information
The vendor addressed the issue in Elementor 3.35.6. The code changes are visible in the version diff between 3.35.5 and 3.35.6. Administrators should apply the update through the WordPress plugin management interface or via WP-CLI.
Workarounds
- Restrict Contributor-and-above capabilities to trusted users only until the patch is applied.
- Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) rule that blocks script tags and event handler attributes in REST API requests to Elementor endpoints.
- Temporarily disable the Elementor plugin on sites that cannot be updated immediately and that allow untrusted contributor registration.
# Update Elementor via WP-CLI to the patched version
wp plugin update elementor --version=3.35.6
# Verify the installed version
wp plugin get elementor --field=version
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
