CVE-2026-49782: Elementor Website Builder Auth Bypass Flaw

CVE-2026-49782 Overview

CVE-2026-49782 is a Missing Authorization vulnerability [CWE-862] in the Elementor Website Builder plugin for WordPress. The flaw affects all versions up to and including 4.1.0. Attackers with low-privilege authenticated access can exploit incorrectly configured access control security levels to perform actions outside their assigned permissions. The vulnerability impacts both confidentiality and integrity at a limited scope, but does not affect availability. Because Elementor is installed on millions of WordPress sites, the exposure footprint is broad even though the technical impact per site is bounded.

Critical Impact
Authenticated low-privilege users can perform unauthorized actions in the Elementor plugin, leading to limited disclosure or modification of plugin-managed data.

Affected Products

Elementor Website Builder plugin for WordPress
All versions from initial release through 4.1.0
WordPress sites with the affected plugin active and accessible authenticated user accounts

Discovery Timeline

2026-06-02 - CVE-2026-49782 published to NVD
2026-06-02 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-49782

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability stems from missing or improperly enforced authorization checks within the Elementor Website Builder plugin. One or more plugin endpoints fail to validate whether the authenticated caller holds the required capability before executing the requested action. The result is a Broken Access Control condition aligned with [CWE-862].

Exploitation requires a network-reachable WordPress installation and a valid low-privilege account such as Subscriber or Contributor. No user interaction is required beyond the attacker submitting a crafted request. The scope is unchanged, meaning the attacker operates within the boundaries of the vulnerable component rather than escaping to other site components.

The EPSS probability is 0.025% with a percentile of 7.481, reflecting low observed exploitation interest at the time of publication. However, plugins with broad install bases are routinely scanned by opportunistic actors once details become public.

Root Cause

The root cause is the absence of a proper capability check (for example, a missing current_user_can() validation or a misconfigured permission callback in a REST API route) on plugin actions that should be restricted to higher-privileged roles. This permits any authenticated session to invoke privileged plugin functionality.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based. An authenticated attacker sends a crafted HTTP request to a vulnerable Elementor endpoint, such as an AJAX action handler or REST route. The request invokes functionality the attacker should not be permitted to execute, resulting in limited unauthorized read or write operations against plugin-managed resources. Refer to the Patchstack Elementor Vulnerability advisory for the disclosure details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-49782

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected POST requests to /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php with Elementor-related action parameters originating from low-privilege user sessions
Requests to Elementor REST routes under /wp-json/elementor/ from accounts that should not have editor-level access
Unauthorized creation, modification, or disclosure of Elementor templates, settings, or page metadata
Audit log entries showing privileged plugin operations performed by Subscriber or Contributor accounts

Detection Strategies

Review WordPress access logs for authenticated requests targeting Elementor endpoints correlated with non-editor user roles
Deploy a WordPress activity monitoring plugin or external SIEM ingestion of web server logs to flag role-to-action mismatches
Compare the current plugin version against 4.1.0 across the WordPress fleet using inventory tooling

Monitoring Recommendations

Continuously monitor newly registered user accounts followed by access to Elementor administrative endpoints
Alert on bursts of admin-ajax.php requests carrying Elementor actions from a single session
Forward WordPress, PHP, and web server logs into a centralized data lake for correlation with authentication telemetry

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-49782

Immediate Actions Required

Upgrade Elementor Website Builder to a release later than 4.1.0 that includes the fix referenced in the Patchstack advisory
Audit all WordPress user accounts and remove unused or unrecognized low-privilege accounts
Restrict open user registration on sites where it is not operationally required
Review recent administrative actions in Elementor for unauthorized modifications

Patch Information

A fixed version of Elementor Website Builder is available from the vendor. Site operators should update to the latest plugin release through the WordPress plugin manager or wp-cli and verify the post-update version is greater than 4.1.0. Consult the Patchstack Elementor Vulnerability advisory for the patched build reference.

Workarounds

Place the WordPress site behind a Web Application Firewall with virtual patching rules targeting Elementor AJAX and REST endpoints
Disable open user self-registration via Settings → General until the plugin is upgraded
Temporarily restrict Elementor administrative endpoints to authenticated administrator IP ranges using web server access controls
Deactivate the Elementor plugin if it is not actively required until a patched version is deployed

bash

# Update Elementor via wp-cli and verify the installed version
wp plugin update elementor
wp plugin get elementor --field=version