CVE-2025-22786: Elementinvader Path Traversal Vulnerability

CVE-2025-22786 Overview

CVE-2025-22786 is a path traversal vulnerability in the ElementInvader Addons for Elementor WordPress plugin. The flaw allows authenticated attackers to perform PHP Local File Inclusion (LFI) using the .../...// traversal pattern. The vulnerability affects all plugin versions up to and including 1.2.6. Successful exploitation enables attackers to include and execute arbitrary PHP files on the underlying WordPress server. The issue is tracked under CWE-22 (Path Traversal) and CWE-35 (Path Traversal: .../...//).

Critical Impact
Authenticated attackers can include local PHP files, leading to remote code execution, sensitive file disclosure, and full WordPress site compromise.

Affected Products

ElementInvader Addons for Elementor (WordPress plugin)
Versions from n/a through 1.2.6
WordPress sites with the plugin installed and activated

Discovery Timeline

2025-01-15 - CVE-2025-22786 published to NVD
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-22786

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability resides in how the ElementInvader Addons for Elementor plugin processes file path parameters. The plugin fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input before passing it to PHP file inclusion functions. Attackers can supply the .../...// traversal sequence, which bypasses naive filters that strip only ../ patterns. After the filter removes one ../, the remaining characters reconstruct a valid traversal sequence. This bypass enables traversal outside the intended directory and inclusion of arbitrary local PHP files.

The attack requires low-privilege authentication, but no user interaction is needed. Once a malicious file path is included, PHP executes the contents within the WordPress application context. Attackers commonly chain this with log poisoning, session file abuse, or uploaded image files containing PHP payloads to achieve remote code execution.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper input validation on a file path parameter consumed by a PHP include, require, or equivalent file-loading function. The sanitization routine performs incomplete normalization, allowing the .../...// pattern to evade filters. This corresponds to CWE-35, a specialized variant of path traversal where dot and slash sequences are stacked to defeat single-pass filtering.

Attack Vector

The vulnerability is remotely exploitable over the network through standard HTTP(S) requests to the WordPress site. An attacker with a valid low-privilege account, such as Contributor or Subscriber depending on plugin configuration, sends a crafted request containing the traversal pattern in a file path parameter handled by the plugin. The plugin then loads and executes the targeted file. Refer to the Patchstack Vulnerability Report for additional technical context.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-22786

Indicators of Compromise

HTTP request parameters containing .../...//, ....//, or URL-encoded variants such as %2e%2e%2f
WordPress access logs showing requests to ElementInvader Addons for Elementor endpoints with file path parameters referencing wp-config.php, /etc/passwd, or /proc/self/environ
Unexpected PHP file execution originating from wp-content/plugins/elementinvader-addons-for-elementor/
New or modified PHP files in the WordPress uploads directory following suspicious authenticated requests

Detection Strategies

Inspect WordPress request logs for traversal patterns targeting plugin endpoints, including encoded sequences
Deploy web application firewall (WAF) rules that decode and normalize paths before pattern matching
Monitor PHP error_log for include() or require() warnings referencing unexpected file paths
Correlate authenticated user activity with anomalous file inclusion requests in SIEM platforms

Monitoring Recommendations

Alert on access to sensitive files such as wp-config.php, .htaccess, and /etc/passwd from PHP processes
Track file integrity for the wp-content/plugins/elementinvader-addons-for-elementor/ directory
Monitor low-privilege WordPress accounts for unusual request volume or parameter manipulation

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-22786

Immediate Actions Required

Upgrade ElementInvader Addons for Elementor to a version newer than 1.2.6 once the vendor releases a patched build
Audit WordPress user accounts and revoke unnecessary authenticated access until patching is complete
Review web server and PHP logs for prior exploitation attempts referencing traversal sequences
Rotate WordPress secrets and database credentials if wp-config.php disclosure is suspected

Patch Information

Review the Patchstack Vulnerability Report for current patch availability. Apply the vendor-provided fix as soon as it is published. Until a patched version is available, deactivate and remove the plugin from production WordPress installations.

Workarounds

Deactivate the ElementInvader Addons for Elementor plugin until a fixed version is released
Configure a WAF rule to block requests containing .../...//, ....//, and URL-encoded path traversal patterns
Restrict PHP open_basedir to limit which directories the WordPress process can read
Set allow_url_include = Off and allow_url_fopen = Off in php.ini to reduce inclusion attack surface

bash

# Example php.ini hardening
allow_url_include = Off
allow_url_fopen = Off
open_basedir = "/var/www/html:/tmp"

# Example ModSecurity rule fragment
SecRule ARGS "@rx \.{2,}/" \
  "id:1022786,phase:2,deny,status:403,msg:'Path traversal attempt CVE-2025-22786'"