CVE-2025-54050: Responsive Addons For Elementor XSS Flaw

CVE-2025-54050 Overview

CVE-2025-54050 is a stored cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the CyberChimps Responsive Addons for Elementor WordPress plugin. The flaw affects all versions up to and including 1.7.3. An authenticated contributor-level user can inject persistent JavaScript payloads that execute in the browsers of visitors and administrators who view affected pages. The issue is tracked under CWE-79 and was published to the National Vulnerability Database on July 16, 2025.

Critical Impact
Successful exploitation allows an authenticated low-privilege user to store malicious scripts that execute in other users' browsers, enabling session theft, administrative account takeover, and site defacement.

Affected Products

CyberChimps Responsive Addons for Elementor (WordPress plugin)
All versions from initial release through 1.7.3
WordPress sites with the plugin installed and Elementor page builder enabled

Discovery Timeline

2025-07-16 - CVE-2025-54050 published to the National Vulnerability Database
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-54050

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability is a stored XSS flaw in the Responsive Addons for Elementor plugin, a widget extension pack for the Elementor page builder. Input passed through the plugin's widget or shortcode parameters is not properly neutralized before being written into rendered pages. The malicious content persists in the WordPress database and executes each time an affected page loads. Because the payload is stored server-side, every visitor who renders the page becomes a potential victim without any additional user interaction beyond page viewing.

Exploitation requires an authenticated account with permission to edit content using Elementor. WordPress installations that allow contributor or author roles to create posts using Elementor widgets provided by this plugin are within reach. The scope-changed nature of the flaw means an attacker acting in their own low-privilege context can compromise sessions belonging to higher-privilege users, including administrators.

Root Cause

The underlying defect is improper neutralization of input during web page generation. The plugin accepts widget attribute values and inserts them into HTML output without sufficient escaping using functions such as esc_html(), esc_attr(), or wp_kses(). Attributes that should be treated as literal text can carry <script> tags or event handler attributes such as onerror and onmouseover, which the browser then parses and executes.

Attack Vector

An authenticated user with content-editing rights crafts an Elementor widget instance that contains an XSS payload in a vulnerable field. The plugin saves the widget configuration to the database. When any subsequent visitor loads the page containing the widget, their browser executes the attacker-controlled JavaScript in the site's origin. See the Patchstack advisory for additional technical detail on the affected widget parameters.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-54050

Indicators of Compromise

Post or page content containing unexpected <script> tags, javascript: URIs, or HTML event handlers such as onerror=, onload=, or onmouseover= within Elementor widget metadata
Entries in the wp_postmeta table with _elementor_data values that contain encoded script payloads
New administrator accounts, unexpected password changes, or session cookie exfiltration to unfamiliar external hosts
Outbound HTTP requests from browsers loading site pages to attacker-controlled domains

Detection Strategies

Query the WordPress database for widget content matching XSS patterns, focusing on posts edited by contributor-level accounts
Enable Content Security Policy (CSP) reporting to surface script executions from unexpected sources
Review WordPress audit logs for post revisions created by low-privilege users that were later published by administrators

Monitoring Recommendations

Monitor plugin update status and flag WordPress instances running Responsive Addons for Elementor at or below version 1.7.3
Alert on creation or modification of user accounts with elevated roles following a content edit event
Track anomalous outbound connections from administrator browser sessions during wp-admin activity

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-54050

Immediate Actions Required

Update Responsive Addons for Elementor to a version later than 1.7.3 as soon as the vendor publishes a patched release
Audit all contributor, author, and editor accounts and remove any that are unused or unrecognized
Review recent post revisions and Elementor widget data for injected script content and remove affected entries
Rotate WordPress administrator passwords and invalidate active sessions if injection is confirmed

Patch Information

Refer to the Patchstack advisory for the current patched version. Apply the vendor update through the WordPress plugin dashboard or via WP-CLI. Confirm the installed version is greater than 1.7.3 after upgrade.

Workarounds

Deactivate the Responsive Addons for Elementor plugin until a patched version is installed
Restrict content editing permissions so that only trusted administrator or editor roles can use Elementor widgets
Deploy a web application firewall rule that filters XSS payloads targeting plugin widget parameters
Enforce a strict Content Security Policy that disallows inline script execution on published pages

bash

# Check installed plugin version and update via WP-CLI
wp plugin get responsive-addons-for-elementor --field=version
wp plugin update responsive-addons-for-elementor

# Temporary mitigation: deactivate the plugin
wp plugin deactivate responsive-addons-for-elementor