CVE-2026-0920: LA-Studio Elementor Auth Bypass Vulnerability

CVE-2026-0920 Overview

The LA-Studio Element Kit for Elementor plugin for WordPress contains a critical privilege escalation vulnerability that allows unauthenticated attackers to create administrator accounts. The flaw exists in the ajax_register_handle function, which fails to properly restrict user role assignments during the registration process. By manipulating the lakit_bkrole parameter, attackers can bypass normal registration restrictions and gain full administrative access to affected WordPress installations.

Critical Impact

Unauthenticated attackers can create administrator accounts and gain complete control over WordPress sites using vulnerable versions of the LA-Studio Element Kit for Elementor plugin.

Affected Products

• LA-Studio Element Kit for Elementor versions up to and including 1.5.6.3
• WordPress installations with the vulnerable plugin active
• Sites with user registration functionality enabled

Discovery Timeline

• January 22, 2026 - CVE CVE-2026-0920 published to NVD
• January 22, 2026 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-0920

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-269 (Improper Privilege Management). The core issue lies within the ajax_register_handle function located in the plugin's override.php file. When processing user registration requests, the function accepts a lakit_bkrole parameter from the request without validating whether the requested role is appropriate for public registration. This architectural flaw allows any unauthenticated visitor to specify arbitrary WordPress user roles, including administrator privileges, during the account creation process.

The vulnerability requires no prior authentication and can be exploited remotely over the network. Successful exploitation grants attackers complete administrative control over the WordPress installation, enabling them to modify content, install malicious plugins, access sensitive data, and potentially pivot to the underlying server infrastructure.

Root Cause

The root cause is a missing authorization check in the user registration handler. The ajax_register_handle function in includes/integrations/override.php directly processes the lakit_bkrole parameter without validating that the supplied role is permitted for public registration. Standard WordPress security practices dictate that user registration should only allow the default subscriber role unless explicitly authorized by an administrator. The vulnerable code fails to implement this restriction, creating a direct path for privilege escalation.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based and requires no authentication, user interaction, or special conditions. An attacker can craft a malicious HTTP request to the WordPress AJAX handler with a modified registration payload. By including the lakit_bkrole parameter set to administrator (or another privileged role), the attacker can create a fully privileged account.

The attack flow involves:

1. Identifying a WordPress site running the vulnerable LA-Studio Element Kit for Elementor plugin
2. Crafting a registration request that includes the lakit_bkrole parameter
3. Submitting the request to the WordPress AJAX endpoint
4. Receiving credentials for a newly created administrator account
5. Using the administrator credentials to access the WordPress dashboard with full privileges

For technical implementation details, refer to the WordPress Plugin Code Reference showing the vulnerable code location.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-0920

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected administrator accounts appearing in the WordPress user database
• User accounts created with elevated privileges that bypass normal registration workflows
• AJAX requests to admin-ajax.php containing the lakit_bkrole parameter
• Unusual registration activity in WordPress logs, especially with role assignments other than subscriber

Detection Strategies

• Monitor WordPress user creation logs for accounts with administrator or editor roles created through the frontend registration process
• Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block requests containing the lakit_bkrole parameter in registration payloads
• Audit existing WordPress user accounts for unauthorized administrators created after the plugin was installed
• Deploy endpoint detection solutions like SentinelOne to identify post-exploitation activity following unauthorized access

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable verbose logging for WordPress AJAX requests and review for suspicious registration patterns
• Configure alerting for any new administrator account creation that doesn't originate from the WordPress admin dashboard
• Implement file integrity monitoring on WordPress core files and plugin directories to detect modifications following a compromise
• Review web server access logs for unusual POST requests to admin-ajax.php with registration-related actions

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-0920

Immediate Actions Required

• Update the LA-Studio Element Kit for Elementor plugin to the latest patched version immediately
• Audit WordPress user accounts and remove any unauthorized administrator accounts
• Review recent site changes for evidence of compromise and restore from clean backups if necessary
• Temporarily disable the plugin if an update cannot be immediately applied
• Implement WAF rules to block requests containing the lakit_bkrole parameter as an interim measure

Patch Information

The vulnerability has been addressed in a security update. Site administrators should update to the patched version available through the WordPress plugin repository. The fix can be reviewed in the WordPress Plugin Changeset Update. Additional vulnerability details are available in the Wordfence Vulnerability Report.

Workarounds

• Disable the LA-Studio Element Kit for Elementor plugin entirely until the update can be applied
• If user registration must remain active, implement server-level request filtering to block the lakit_bkrole parameter
• Restrict access to admin-ajax.php for registration-related actions using .htaccess or web server configuration rules
• Deploy a Web Application Firewall with rules specifically targeting this parameter injection attack

# Apache .htaccess rule to block requests containing lakit_bkrole parameter
# Add to WordPress root .htaccess file as temporary mitigation
<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_METHOD} POST
RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} lakit_bkrole [NC,OR]
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_BODY} lakit_bkrole [NC]
RewriteRule ^wp-admin/admin-ajax\.php$ - [F,L]
</IfModule>