If you run a WordPress website, there’s a good chance you’ve heard of Elementor – it’s one of the most popular website builder plugins around, with millions of active installs. But with popularity comes attention from hackers. In this article, we’re diving deep into the security hole CVE-2022-4953, affecting Elementor versions before 3.5.5, how it puts your site at risk, and how attackers exploit it. Here, you'll find code, references, and a simple explanation of the bug and attack.

What is CVE-2022-4953?

CVE-2022-4953 is a vulnerability discovered in Elementor (before v3.5.5) where the plugin failed to properly filter URLs provided by users. That might not sound like a big deal, but when those URLs end up in your site's DOM unchecked, a bad actor can inject their own content or scripts.

Impact:
Attackers can use this to inject malicious iframes into your webpages. Those iframes might load phishing pages, malware, or steal your data. The attack is simple and doesn’t require any special user privileges.

How the Bug Works

The main problem is that Elementor allowed certain widgets or blocks to set the src attribute of iframes, images, or other elements directly from user-supplied input. There should have been checks (“sanitization”) to make sure the URL didn’t point somewhere dangerous. Without these checks, attackers can load any web page inside your site.

Example Scenario

Suppose a site lets users submit links that get displayed with the Elementor “Embed” widget. With the bug, an attacker submits a specially crafted link containing their own malicious site.

Here’s how it looks in simplified PHP code (reflecting the vulnerable behavior)

// Simplified vulnerable code (before 3.5.5)

$url = $_POST['user_url']; // User input, no filter!
echo '<iframe src="' . $url . '"></iframe>'; // BAD: $url is not sanitized

Normally, Elementor should sanitize the input so only legitimate URLs are allowed. Instead, any URL—including evil ones—went through.

https://badsite.attacker.com/phishing.html

Elementor creates an iframe in the page based on their input URL.

4. When users (site visitors) load the page, their browser fetches and displays the attacker’s content right inside the site.

If the attacker’s iframe points to a phishing page mimicking a login form, users might give up their credentials. Or the attacker could inject scripts to steal cookies, deliver malware, or show fake ads.

Example Malicious Input

<iframe src="https://stealcookies.example.com/malware"></iframe>;

If you find a form like this on a vulnerable site (before Elementor v3.5.5)

<form method="post">
    <input type="text" name="user_url">
    <input type="submit" value="Submit">
</form>

You can submit:
https://evil.com/steal.html

and the page will unwittingly create

<iframe src="https://evil.com/steal.html"></iframe>

- Elementor Changelog (3.5.5)
- NVD Entry for CVE-2022-4953
- WPScan Advisory

Fix and Protection

If you use Elementor:

Here’s how code should look, using esc_url() to filter the input

$url = esc_url_raw($_POST['user_url']); // Properly sanitized
echo '<iframe src="' . $url . '"></iframe>'; // Now safe!

Final Thoughts

Elementor’s popularity made this a juicy target for attackers, and even small input-validation mistakes can have big consequences on the web. If you manage a WordPress site—Elementor or any plugin—keep everything up to date and never trust user input. Little bugs like this have real-world impact.

Stay aware, patch early, and help the web stay secure!


Want to dive deeper? Check the official Elementor changelog here, and see the full CVE entry here.

Timeline

Published on: 08/14/2023 20:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 09/08/2023 23:15:00 UTC