CVE-2025-31823 Overview
CVE-2025-31823 is a stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the WPoperation Elementor Addons plugin for WordPress, developed by wpoperations. The flaw stems from improper neutralization of user-supplied input during web page generation [CWE-79]. Attackers with low-privileged authenticated access can inject malicious scripts that persist within the site and execute in the browsers of visitors and administrators. The vulnerability affects all versions of the plugin up to and including 1.1.9. Successful exploitation can lead to session hijacking, credential theft, and administrative account takeover through the compromised WordPress site.
Critical Impact
Authenticated contributors can inject persistent JavaScript that executes against administrators, enabling account takeover and further compromise of the WordPress environment.
Affected Products
- WPoperation Elementor Addons plugin (wpop-elementor-addons) versions through 1.1.9
- WordPress sites running the vulnerable plugin with Elementor page builder
- Any WordPress environment permitting contributor-level or higher accounts to use the affected widgets
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-04-01 - CVE-2025-31823 published to NVD
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-31823
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability originates in the WPoperation Elementor Addons plugin, which extends the Elementor page builder with additional widgets and design elements. The plugin fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input before storing it in the WordPress database and rendering it into generated pages. As a result, attackers can persist arbitrary HTML and JavaScript payloads within widget configurations.
When a victim loads a page containing the tainted widget output, the browser parses and executes the injected script within the site's origin. Because the payload is stored server-side, exploitation does not require any user interaction beyond visiting the affected page. This makes stored XSS a durable delivery mechanism for browser-based attacks against site visitors and administrators.
Root Cause
The root cause is missing or insufficient output encoding on widget attributes rendered by the plugin. Input passed through the Elementor editor is written to the database without escaping HTML control characters. On render, the plugin echoes the values directly into the DOM rather than passing them through WordPress escaping helpers such as esc_html(), esc_attr(), or wp_kses_post().
Attack Vector
Exploitation requires an authenticated account with permission to edit Elementor content, typically contributor or higher. The attacker crafts a widget containing a JavaScript payload inside an unsanitized field. The payload persists in post meta and executes whenever the page is rendered. The scope change indicated by the CVSS vector reflects the ability to attack administrator sessions from a lower-privileged origin.
The vulnerability manifests during Elementor widget rendering. See the Patchstack Vulnerability Advisory for technical details.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-31823
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected <script>, <svg onload=>, or javascript: strings stored in wp_postmeta entries belonging to Elementor data (_elementor_data).
- Administrator sessions triggering outbound requests to unknown domains after loading pages built with WPoperation Elementor Addons.
- New administrator accounts, plugin installations, or theme modifications shortly after content editing activity by low-privileged users.
Detection Strategies
- Query WordPress post meta for Elementor payloads containing HTML event handlers or script tags associated with the affected widgets.
- Deploy web application firewall rules that inspect POST requests to admin-ajax.php and Elementor save endpoints for XSS signatures.
- Review WordPress audit logs for content edits made by contributor and author accounts that touch pages using the plugin.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable Content Security Policy (CSP) reporting to capture unexpected inline script execution attempts on pages that use the plugin.
- Monitor browser telemetry for administrators, particularly cookie access and outbound XHR requests from the WordPress admin domain.
- Track plugin version inventories across managed WordPress sites and alert on installations of wpop-elementor-addons version 1.1.9 or earlier.
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-31823
Immediate Actions Required
- Update WPoperation Elementor Addons to a version later than 1.1.9 as soon as the vendor publishes a fix.
- Audit all WordPress pages built with the plugin for injected script content and remove any suspicious payloads from _elementor_data.
- Rotate administrator passwords and invalidate active sessions if exploitation is suspected.
Patch Information
At the time of publication, the vendor advisory referenced by Patchstack identifies all versions through 1.1.9 as vulnerable. Site operators should consult the Patchstack Vulnerability Advisory for the current patched version and upgrade guidance.
Workarounds
- Deactivate and remove the WPoperation Elementor Addons plugin until a patched release is verified.
- Restrict contributor, author, and editor roles from using Elementor on production sites where the plugin remains active.
- Deploy a web application firewall with rules that block stored XSS payloads targeting Elementor widget parameters.
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
