Overview
A significant security vulnerability, identified as CVE-2025-13141, has been discovered in the HT Mega – Absolute Addons For Elementor plugin for WordPress. This vulnerability affects all versions up to and including 3.0.0. It’s a Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) flaw that allows authenticated attackers, with contributor-level access or higher, to inject malicious JavaScript code into pages. This code will then execute whenever a user accesses those pages, potentially leading to account compromise or other malicious actions.
Technical Details
The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation when processing user-supplied HTML tag names within the plugin’s Gutenberg blocks. Specifically, the lack of a tag name whitelist permits the injection of dangerous tags like <script>, <iframe>, and <object>, even though the tag_escape() function is used for sanitization. While some blocks use esc_html() for content, this can be bypassed using JavaScript encoding techniques such as unquoted strings, backticks, and String.fromCharCode(). This bypass allows attackers to inject arbitrary JavaScript code, leading to a persistent XSS vulnerability.
Example Bypass Scenario:
<img src=x onerror=alert(1)>
The problem isn’t just the lack of a whitelist, but also the trust placed in contributor-level users. With relatively low permissions, an attacker can manipulate the content of posts and pages to inject malicious scripts.
CVSS Analysis
- CVE ID: CVE-2025-13141
- Severity: MEDIUM
- CVSS Score: 6.4
A CVSS score of 6.4 indicates a Medium severity vulnerability. While it requires authentication (mitigating the risk slightly), the impact can be significant, allowing for arbitrary code execution within the user’s browser.
Possible Impact
A successful XSS attack exploiting CVE-2025-13141 can have several serious consequences:
- Account Takeover: An attacker could steal administrator cookies, gaining full control of the WordPress site.
- Malware Distribution: Injected scripts could redirect users to malicious websites, spreading malware.
- Defacement: Attackers could alter the appearance of the website, damaging its reputation.
- Data Theft: Sensitive information, such as user credentials or customer data, could be stolen.
Mitigation or Patch Steps
The primary mitigation is to update the HT Mega – Absolute Addons For Elementor plugin to the latest version. Versions higher than 3.0.0 contain a fix for this vulnerability. Here’s how:
- Log in to your WordPress administration dashboard.
- Navigate to “Plugins” -> “Installed Plugins”.
- Locate the “HT Mega – Absolute Addons For Elementor” plugin.
- If an update is available, click the “Update Now” link.
If you cannot update the plugin immediately, consider temporarily disabling it until you can apply the update. Review existing pages and posts for any unusual or suspicious code injected via the plugin.
