CVE-2025-59553: Elementor Custom iFrame XSS Vulnerability

CVE-2025-59553 Overview

CVE-2025-59553 is a DOM-based Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Coderz Studio Custom iFrame for Elementor WordPress plugin. The flaw affects all plugin versions up to and including 1.0.13. It stems from improper neutralization of user-controlled input during web page generation, classified under [CWE-79]. Successful exploitation allows attackers to execute arbitrary JavaScript in the context of a victim's browser session. Exploitation requires low-privileged authentication and user interaction, and the vulnerability crosses a security scope boundary.

Critical Impact
Authenticated attackers can inject malicious scripts into Elementor-rendered pages, enabling session theft, credential harvesting, and unauthorized actions against visitors or administrators of affected WordPress sites.

Affected Products

Coderz Studio Custom iFrame for Elementor plugin versions through 1.0.13
WordPress installations using the custom-iframe plugin
Elementor-powered sites that embed iframe content via this plugin

Discovery Timeline

2025-09-22 - CVE-2025-59553 published to NVD
2026-10-11 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-59553

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability resides in how the Custom iFrame for Elementor plugin processes input before rendering it into the Document Object Model (DOM). Because sanitization occurs client-side or is absent entirely, attacker-controlled payloads reach JavaScript sinks that interpret HTML or script content. This produces a DOM-based XSS condition rather than a reflected or stored server-side variant.

Exploitation requires a user with at least contributor-level privileges to inject a crafted payload through the plugin's iframe configuration fields. When a victim loads the resulting page in a browser, the malicious script executes within the site's origin. The scope change indicates the payload can affect resources beyond the vulnerable component, including administrative sessions.

Root Cause

The plugin fails to apply output encoding or input sanitization to iframe-related attributes before writing them into the DOM. User-supplied values such as URLs, attribute strings, or inline parameters are passed directly to sinks like innerHTML or attribute setters. This behavior violates WordPress coding standards that require esc_url, esc_attr, and wp_kses functions on untrusted input.

Attack Vector

Attack delivery occurs over the network against WordPress sites running the vulnerable plugin. An authenticated contributor or editor saves a page or widget containing a malicious iframe configuration. The payload executes when a logged-in administrator or visitor renders the affected content. Victim interaction, such as navigating to the compromised page, is required to trigger script execution.

For technical reproduction details, refer to the Patchstack WordPress Plugin Vulnerability advisory.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-59553

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected <script> tags, javascript: URIs, or event handler attributes (onerror, onload) inside Elementor widget content or post metadata
WordPress audit log entries showing contributor or editor accounts modifying Custom iFrame widget configurations
Outbound browser requests from authenticated admin sessions to attacker-controlled domains following page views

Detection Strategies

Query the wp_postmeta and wp_options tables for Elementor data containing suspicious HTML, inline scripts, or encoded payloads referencing the custom-iframe plugin
Monitor Content Security Policy (CSP) violation reports for inline script execution on pages using the plugin
Review web server access logs for anomalous POST requests to admin-ajax.php or Elementor save endpoints originating from low-privilege accounts

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable WordPress security plugin logging for all content modifications by non-administrator users
Deploy browser-side telemetry to flag DOM mutations that insert script elements outside expected template boundaries
Alert on new or modified iframe widgets following plugin updates or user privilege changes

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-59553

Immediate Actions Required

Audit all installed instances of the Custom iFrame for Elementor plugin and identify sites running version 1.0.13 or earlier
Restrict contributor, author, and editor roles from editing Elementor content containing iframe widgets until a patched version is installed
Review existing pages for unauthorized iframe configurations and remove any containing script content or external URLs that are not business-approved

Patch Information

At the time of CVE publication, no fixed version is confirmed in the enriched data. Site operators should monitor the Patchstack advisory for vendor release notes and apply the vendor-supplied update as soon as it becomes available.

Workarounds

Deactivate and remove the Custom iFrame for Elementor plugin until a patched release is published
Implement a strict Content Security Policy (CSP) that forbids inline scripts and restricts frame sources to trusted origins
Place the WordPress admin interface behind a Web Application Firewall (WAF) rule set that blocks XSS payloads targeting Elementor save endpoints

bash

# Example CSP header to mitigate DOM-based XSS execution
Content-Security-Policy: default-src 'self'; script-src 'self'; frame-src https://trusted-domain.example; object-src 'none'; base-uri 'self'