CVE-2025-49235 Overview
CVE-2025-49235 is a stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Rometheme RTMKit rometheme-for-elementor WordPress plugin. The flaw affects all versions up to and including 1.6.0 and results from improper neutralization of user input during web page generation [CWE-79]. Authenticated attackers with low privileges can inject persistent JavaScript payloads that execute in the browsers of users who view the affected pages. The vulnerability is tracked as an input validation issue in the Elementor add-on component distributed by Rometheme.
Critical Impact
Authenticated contributors can store malicious scripts that execute against site visitors and administrators, enabling session theft, unauthorized actions, and content manipulation across the WordPress site.
Affected Products
- Rometheme RTMKit (rometheme-for-elementor) plugin for WordPress
- All versions from initial release through 1.6.0
- WordPress sites running Elementor with RTMKit add-ons enabled
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-06-06 - CVE-2025-49235 published to NVD
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-49235
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability resides in the RTMKit add-ons for Elementor, a WordPress plugin that extends Elementor with additional widgets and design elements. The plugin fails to sanitize and escape user-supplied input before rendering it in generated web pages. An authenticated user with permission to edit Elementor content can inject arbitrary HTML and JavaScript into widget attributes or content fields.
Because the payload is stored in the WordPress database, it executes every time an unsuspecting user renders the affected page or post. The scope change in the vulnerability profile indicates that the injected script can affect resources beyond the vulnerable component, including administrator sessions in the WordPress dashboard. User interaction is required, since a victim must visit or preview the poisoned page.
Root Cause
The root cause is missing output encoding and inadequate input sanitization in one or more RTMKit widgets. WordPress provides sanitization APIs such as wp_kses_post(), esc_attr(), and esc_html(), but the plugin does not consistently apply these functions to attacker-controlled fields before writing them to page markup.
Attack Vector
An attacker authenticated as a contributor, author, or editor crafts an RTMKit widget containing a JavaScript payload inside a text, URL, or HTML attribute field. The payload persists in post metadata. When another user, typically a higher-privileged administrator or a public visitor, loads the page, the browser executes the injected script in the site's origin. The attacker can hijack session cookies, perform actions on behalf of the victim, or pivot to further compromise the WordPress installation.
See the Patchstack Vulnerability Report for advisory details.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-49235
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected <script>, onerror, onload, or javascript: strings inside wp_postmeta rows tied to Elementor data (_elementor_data).
- Outbound HTTP requests from browsers visiting the WordPress site to unfamiliar domains referenced in stored widget content.
- New or modified administrator accounts created shortly after a low-privileged user edited RTMKit widgets.
Detection Strategies
- Query the WordPress database for RTMKit widget entries containing HTML event handlers or <script> tags in serialized Elementor data.
- Review web server access logs for administrator sessions that loaded pages containing RTMKit widgets edited by non-admin users.
- Inspect browser Content Security Policy (CSP) violation reports, if configured, for inline script violations originating on RTMKit-rendered pages.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable WordPress activity logging to record content edits by contributors, authors, and editors touching Elementor pages.
- Monitor plugin update status and alert on any WordPress instance still running RTMKit 1.6.0 or earlier.
- Track anomalous session activity for administrator accounts, including unexpected AJAX calls to /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php following page previews.
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-49235
Immediate Actions Required
- Update the Rometheme RTMKit plugin to a version later than 1.6.0 as soon as the vendor releases a patched build.
- Audit user roles and remove Elementor editing permissions from accounts that do not require them.
- Review existing Elementor pages built with RTMKit widgets and remove any suspicious script content from post metadata.
Patch Information
At the time of publication, the NVD entry identifies all versions through 1.6.0 as vulnerable. Administrators should consult the Patchstack Vulnerability Report and the plugin's WordPress.org listing for the fixed release version and apply the update through the WordPress plugin manager.
Workarounds
- Deactivate the RTMKit plugin until a patched version is installed if the widgets are not business-critical.
- Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) rule that blocks HTTP requests containing script tags or event handler attributes in Elementor save endpoints.
- Restrict content editing to trusted administrator accounts and enforce multi-factor authentication for all users with post-editing capabilities.
- Enforce a strict Content Security Policy that disallows inline scripts on the WordPress front-end and admin dashboard.
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
