Unauthenticated Role Escalation in Essential Addons for Elementor

Executive Summary

This vulnerability affects the Essential Addons for Elementor WordPress plugin before version 6.7.2. It allows unauthenticated attackers to register an account with an arbitrary role, including administrator, by exploiting a flaw where user-supplied registration fields can overwrite reserved account attributes. This occurs if a custom profile field with a specific label has been configured on the site.

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Detection Guidance

Check the installed version of Essential Addons for Elementor plugin. If it is below 6.7.2, the system is vulnerable. Use WordPress admin panel or run a command like 'wp plugin list' in the WordPress directory to verify the plugin version.

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Impact Analysis

An attacker could exploit this to gain full administrative access to your WordPress site without authentication. This could lead to complete site takeover, data theft, malware installation, or disruption of services. The impact is severe as it bypasses normal security controls.

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Compliance Impact

This vulnerability could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive data, violating compliance requirements for GDPR, HIPAA, and other regulations. It may result in data breaches, unauthorized processing of personal data, and failure to maintain proper access controls, potentially leading to legal penalties and reputational damage.

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Mitigation Strategies

Update the Essential Addons for Elementor plugin to version 6.7.2 or later immediately. Remove any custom profile fields with labels that could be exploited to overwrite account attributes until the update is applied.

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