CVE-2025-69363: Elementor Responsive Addons Auth Bypass

CVE-2025-69363 Overview

CVE-2025-69363 is a Missing Authorization vulnerability discovered in the CyberChimps Responsive Addons for Elementor WordPress plugin. This Broken Access Control flaw allows attackers to exploit incorrectly configured access control security levels, potentially gaining unauthorized access to protected functionality within affected WordPress installations.

Critical Impact

Attackers can bypass authorization checks to access restricted features and functionality in WordPress sites using the vulnerable plugin version.

Affected Products

• CyberChimps Responsive Addons for Elementor versions up through 2.0.8
• WordPress installations using the responsive-addons-for-elementor plugin

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-01-06 - CVE-2025-69363 published to NVD
• 2026-01-08 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-69363

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-862 (Missing Authorization), indicating that the Responsive Addons for Elementor plugin fails to properly verify user permissions before allowing access to certain functionality. The plugin lacks adequate authorization checks on one or more endpoints or functions, allowing users without proper privileges to access restricted features.

Missing authorization vulnerabilities occur when an application does not perform authorization checks or performs them incorrectly, allowing unauthorized users to access protected resources. In the context of WordPress plugins like Responsive Addons for Elementor, this typically manifests as AJAX handlers or REST API endpoints that fail to verify user capabilities before executing sensitive operations.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is the absence of proper capability checks within the plugin's code. WordPress plugins should implement authorization using functions like current_user_can() to verify users have appropriate permissions before executing privileged actions. The affected versions of Responsive Addons for Elementor fail to implement these checks consistently, creating security gaps that can be exploited.

Attack Vector

An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by directly accessing the unprotected plugin functionality without proper authentication or with low-privileged user credentials. Since this is a WordPress plugin vulnerability, exploitation typically involves:

1. Identifying the vulnerable AJAX action or REST endpoint within the plugin
2. Crafting requests to the endpoint that bypass the expected authorization flow
3. Executing privileged actions that should be restricted to administrators or editors

The vulnerability affects all WordPress installations running Responsive Addons for Elementor versions 2.0.8 and earlier. For detailed technical information, refer to the Patchstack Vulnerability Report.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-69363

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual AJAX requests targeting the responsive-addons-for-elementor plugin endpoints from unauthenticated or low-privileged users
• Unexpected modifications to Elementor page content or widget configurations
• Log entries showing access to plugin-specific admin functions by non-admin users
• Suspicious activity in WordPress access logs involving the plugin's action handlers

Detection Strategies

• Monitor WordPress access logs for requests to admin-ajax.php or REST API endpoints associated with the Responsive Addons for Elementor plugin
• Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block exploitation attempts
• Use WordPress security plugins to audit plugin activity and detect unauthorized access patterns
• Deploy endpoint detection solutions to monitor for post-exploitation behaviors

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable verbose logging on WordPress installations to capture detailed request information
• Set up alerts for failed authorization attempts or unusual user activity patterns
• Regularly review audit logs for any indication of privilege abuse or unauthorized access
• Monitor file integrity to detect any unauthorized changes to plugin files or WordPress content

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-69363

Immediate Actions Required

• Update the Responsive Addons for Elementor plugin to the latest patched version immediately
• Review WordPress user accounts and remove any unauthorized or suspicious accounts
• Audit recent activity logs for signs of exploitation
• Consider temporarily disabling the plugin if an update is not immediately available

Patch Information

CyberChimps has addressed this vulnerability in versions newer than 2.0.8 of the Responsive Addons for Elementor plugin. Administrators should update to the latest available version through the WordPress plugin repository. For more details on the vulnerability and patch status, consult the Patchstack Vulnerability Report.

Workarounds

• Temporarily deactivate the Responsive Addons for Elementor plugin until a patch can be applied
• Implement additional access controls at the web server or WAF level to restrict access to WordPress admin functionality
• Limit user registration and ensure only trusted users have accounts on the WordPress installation
• Enable WordPress security plugins with access control monitoring capabilities

# WordPress CLI command to check plugin version
wp plugin list --status=active | grep responsive-addons-for-elementor

# Update the plugin to the latest version
wp plugin update responsive-addons-for-elementor

# Alternatively, deactivate the plugin temporarily
wp plugin deactivate responsive-addons-for-elementor